Abstract
Data were collected for patients with Mitral Valve Prolapse, Agoraphobia and Hyperthyroidism in order to construct a psychosocial and symptom profile for each group. A battery of five self-report inventories was administered. These were the Millon Behavioral Health Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, the Crown-Crisp Experimental Index, the Hostility and Direction of Hostility Questionnaire and the General Background Information Questionnaire.There were a total of 90 patients, 30 from each group, aged 18-70. Comparisons were made based on both the patients' primary disorder and their MBHI personality style. Five personality groups emerged, these were Dependent-Conforming, Confident-Outgoing, Anxious-Moody, Angry-Irritable and Friendly-Agreeable.Results show that because of individual differences and symptom overlap, it is not possible to differentiate absolutely between the three primary disorder groups based on symptom clusters. The Psychiatric Factor, comprised of the symptoms "fear of going crazy" and "feelings of unreality" was endorsed by more Agoraphobic patients than patients in the other groups. A predominant personality style was only evident in the Agoraphobic group, with 60% of Agoraphobic patients having an Anxious-Moody personality style.Patients with Agoraphobia had significantly greater psychosocial adjustment problems than patients with Mitral Valve Prolapse and Hyperthyroidism. The variables that demonstrated this were depression, emotionality and "neuroticism", hostility, social alienation, interpersonal problems and somatic anxiety. Hyperthyroid patients had significantly fewer psychosocial adjustment problems in certain areas than the other patient groups.Patients with an Anxious-Moody personality style had significantly more psychosocial difficulties than patients with the other personality styles. Variables that portrayed this were depression, emotionality and "neuroticism", interpersonal stress and social alienation. Patients with an Anxious-Moody personality style had significantly greater levels of psychosocial stress than the other groups with the exception of the Angry-Irritable personality group on the following measures, premorbid pessimism, future despair, hostility and somatic anxiety.