| AimAlmost all the theories of personality are in line that personality is one of thesignificant factors that affect mental health. While because of diverse researchaspects, scholars of each theories regard their findings as the ones that have the mostimportant influence on mental health. But personality should be considered as anintegrity and different personality factors are presented in individuals. Only when acertain personality factor is considered from the aspect of integrity, the influencebrought by it can be understood comprehensively. This thesis probes into filteringdifferent personality factors based on the integral understanding of various kinds oftheories of personality, analysing the mechanism that how personality factorsinfluence mental health, and constructing the diagnosis and intervention system ofpersonality which may contribute to psychotherapy.MethodsThe investigation was conducted with cluster sampling among 1,185 studentsaveraged 20.44±1.66 years in a certain medical university in Guangdong Province.1177 valid questionnaires were returned and completed, up to 99.3% in validity.Among the subjects, 542 were male students, taking up 46% and 626 female, takingup 53.20%, while 9 were uncertain in gender, taking up 0.08%. During the analysis, corresponding aspects were applied to evaluate mentalhealth and personality factors. Symptom Checklist 90(SCL-90) was used to evaluatemental health and such psychological symptoms as somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, photic anxiety,paranoid ideation and psychoticism.The evaluation of personality factors was conducted with different aspects basedon the following different theories:1. Revised Eysenck personality questionaire was employed to evaluateneuroticism and extraversion in Eysenck’s Biological Theory;2. Such factors as security, love and ascription, self-esteem and self-actualizationin Hierarchical Theory of Needs were evaluated with the checklists of security,self-esteem, self-actualization and investigations on emotional and social loneliness;3. The checklists of dysfunctional attitudes was employed to evaluate cognitionvariance in Beck’s Cognition Theory;4. Self-consistency and congruence in Rogers Self Theory was evaluatedthrough the checklist of self-consistency and congruence;5. Factors of positive and negative coping in Coping Theory were evaluatedbased on the checklist of trait coping style;6. The factor of life meaning in Existence Analysis Theory was evaluated by thechecklist of purpose-in-life;7. The factor of self-efficiency in Social Learning Theory was evaluated basedon the checklist of general self-efficiency;8. The factors of internal-external locus of control in Social Cognition Theorywas evaluated through the checklist of factors of internal-external locus of control.Database was set up with Foxpro6.0 and data were input and then statisticsanalysis was conducted with SPSS 13.0, by way of correlation analysis, regressionanalysis, path analysis and variance analysis. ResultsAn appraisal study on influence on psychological symptoms by differenttheories of personality1. Eysenck’s Biological Theory can offer the strongest influence on depression(R~2=0.430). The second to it was interpersonal sensitivity (R~2=0.415) andanxiety(R~2=0.370). There were predominant positive correlations between the factorof neuroticism and psychological symptoms (0.43=r=0.62) and there were relativelyhigh coefficient of correlations (P＜0.05) between it and depression (r=0.64),interpersonal sensitivity (r=0.62) and anxiety (r=0.61).2. Beck’s Cognition Theory can offer the strongest influence on interpersonalsensitivity (R~2=0.269) and the second to it was obsessive-compulsive (R~2=0.235)and depression (R~2=0.234). There was predominant positive correlation (P＜0.05)between the factor of cognition variance and psychological symptoms (0.25=r=0.51)and there were relatively high coefficient of correlations(P＜0.05) between the factorof cognition variance and interpersonal sensitivity (r=0.51), obsessive-compulsive(r=0.47) and depression (r=0.47).3. Hierarchical Theory of Needs can offer the strongest influence on depression(R~3=0.439) and the second to it was interpersonal sensitivity (R~2=0.388) andobsessive-compulsive (R~2=0.350). There were relatively high coefficient ofcorrelations (P＜0.05) between the factor of security and depression (r=-0.61),interpersonal sensitivity (r=-0.59) and obsessive-compulsive (r=-0.57).Meanwhile, there were relatively high coefficient of correlations (P＜0.05) betweenthe factor of self-esteem and depression (r=-0.55), interpersonal sensitivity (r=-0.45), obsessive-compulsive (r=-0.45). Besides, there were relatively highcoefficient of correlations (P＜0.05) between the factor of lovc and ascription andinterpersonal sensitivity (r=0.47) depression (r=0.44), psychoticism (r=0.40)and obsessive-compulsive (r=0.38). In addition, there were relatively highcoefficient of correlations (P＜0.05) between the factor of self-actualization and depression (r=-0.39), obsessive-compulsive (r=-0.38) and interpersonalsensitivity (r=-0.37).4. Rogers Self Theory can offer the strongest influence on depression (R~2=0.398) and the second to it was interpersonal sensitivity (R~2=0.363), psychoticism(R~2=0.352) and obsessive-compulsive (R~2=0.336). There was predominantpositive correlation between the factor of self-consistency and congruence andpsychological symptoms (0.34=r=0.59). There were relatively high coefficient ofcorrelations (P＜0.05) between the factor of self-consistency and congruence anddepression (r=0.58), interpersonal sensitivity (r=0.54), psychoticism (r=0.53)and obsessive-compulsive (r=0.53).5. Coping Theory can offer the strongest influence on depression (R~2=0.332)and the second to it was interpersonal sensitivity (R~2=0.299) andobsessive-compulsive (R~2=0.271). There was predominant positive correlationbetween the negative coping factor and psychological symptoms(0.31=r=0.53).Therewere relatively high coefficient of correlations (P＜0.05) between the negativecoping factor and depression (r=0.53), interpersonal sensitivity (r=0.52) andobsessive-compulsive (r=0.50), meanwhile, there was predomint negativecorrelation between the positive coping factor and psychological symptoms (-0.18=r=-0.42) and there were relatively high coefficient of correlations (P＜0.05)between positive coping factor and depression (r=-0.42), interpersonalsensitivity (r=-0.39) and obsessive-compulsive (r=-0.37).6. Existence Analysis Theory can offer the strongest influence on depression(R~2=0.319) . There was predomint negative correlation between the factor of lifemeaning and psychological symptoms (-0.30=r=-0.47) and there were relativelyhigh coefficient of correlations (P＜0.05) between the factor of life meaning anddepression (r=-0.56), obsessive-compulsive (r=-0.47), and interpersonalsensitivity (r=-0.46).7. Social Learning Theory can offer the strongest influence on obsessive- compulsive (R~2=0.111) and there was predomint negative correlation between thefactor of self-efficiency and psychological symptoms (-0.09=r=-0.33). And therewere relatively high coefficient of correlations (P＜0.05) between the factor ofself-efficiency and obsessive-compulsive (r=-0.33), depression(r=-0.32) andinterpersonal sensitivity (r=-0.31).8. Social Cognitive Theory can offer the strongest influence onobsessive-compulsive (R~2=0.101). There was predomint negative correlationbetween the factor of internal-external locus of control and psychological symptoms(-0.16=r=-0.32). There were relatively high coefficient of correlations (P＜0.05)between the factor of internal-external locus of control and depression (r=-0.32)and obsessive-compulsive (r=-0.32).The Filtration of Personality Factors Which Influence Different Mental HealthDifferent personality fators were taken as independent variables while differentpsychological symptoms as dependent variables. Results from multivariant stepwiseregression analysis atα=0.05 indicated that different personality factors exerteddifferent influences on various psychological symptoms.Factors that influenced somatization were ranked in the order of neuroticism,self-consistency, positive coping, life meaning and internal-external locus of control.Factors that influenced obsessive-compulsive were ranked in the order ofneuroticism, security, self-consistency, the degree of self-esteem and cognitionvariance.Factors that influenced interpersonal sensitivity were ranked in the order ofneuroticism, love and ascription, security, general cognition, internal-external locus ofcontrol, the degree of self-esteem and self-consistency.Factors that influenced depression were ranked in the order of neuroticism, thedegree of self-esteem, security, life meaning, self-efficiency, self-consistency, positivecoping and internal-external locus of control.Factors that influenced hostility were ranked in the order of neuroticism, negative coping, extraversion, life meaning, self-efficiency and self-consistency.Factors that influenced photic anxiety were ranked in the order of neuroticism,security and the degree of self-esteem.Factors that influenced paranoid ideation were ranked in the order of neuroticism,self-consistency, self-efficiency, extraversion, love and ascription, security andcognition variance.Factors that influenced psychoticism were ranked in the order of neuroticism,self-consistency, security, love and ascription, internal-external locus of control andlife meaning.Mechanicism Study on How Personality Factors Influence PsychologicalSymptomsPath AnalysisThe result of path analysis indicates that factors as neuroticism, self-consistency,security, life meaning, self-esteem and extraversion exerted direct influence onpsychological symptoms while such factors as internal-external locus of control,self-actualization, general self-efficiency, love and ascription, cognition variance,positive and negative coping only affect psychological symptoms indirectly. Factorsas self-consistency, life meaning and self-esteem not only had direct impact onpsychological symptoms but also acted as intervening variables when otherpersonality factors influence psychological symptoms. Extraversion and neuroticismexerted direct influence on psychological symptoms while such factors as security,internal-external locus of control, self-actualization, general self-efficiency, love andascription, cognition variance and positive and negative coping only affectedpsychological symptoms indirectly.InteractionInteraction analysis showed that there were significant interactions between personality factors and psychological symptoms under the following 13circumstances: neuroticism and self-actualization, neuroticism and internal-externallocus of control neuroticism and extraversion, neuroticism and negative coping,neuroticism and cognition variance, self-consistency and internal-external locus ofcontrol, self-consistency and extraversion, self-consistency and cognition variance,self-actualization and internal-external locus of control, self- actualization andpositive coping, negative coping and cognition variance, cognition variance andextraversion, security and internal-external locus of control. While there was nointeraction between such factors as the degree of self-esteem, love and ascription,self-efficiency and life meaning and other factors.The Establishment of prototype of Personality Diagnosis and InterventionSystemOn the basis of the above-mentioned study, the results of path analysis,correlation analysis, regression analysis, interaction and the filtrations of differentpersonality factors which had different impacts on psychological symptoms,personality diagnosis and intervention system were used to establish the system ofpersonality diagnosis and intervention, guiding mental health evaluation, personalityconflict analysis and psychotherapy.ConclusionDifferent theories of personality and its factors have different influence onpsychological symptoms. For a certain symptom, we can find the most convincingtheory to assess it. The study shows that Eysenck’s Biological Theory, HierarchicalTheory of Needs, Rogers Self Theory, Coping Theory and Existence Analysis Theorycan offer the strongest influence on depression, while Theory Beck’s CognitionTheory can offer the strongest influence on interpersonal sensitivity, and SocialCognitive Theory and Social Learning Theory can offer the strongest influence on obsessive-compulsive. This settled the dispute that "which is the best interpretationon mental health", which exists in a long-term among different schools studyingpersonality.There are different personality factors that influence such kinds of psychologicalsymptoms as somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression,anxiety, hostility, photic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism.By path analysis, direct and indirect influences of personality factors on mentalhealth were revealed, interpreting the disparity of influence on mental health by thesame personality factors.Interactions impacting on mental health between 13 pairs of personality factorswere constructed by different theories of personality. Such factors as neuroticism andself-consistency played a relatively dominant role. High level of neuroticism mayinterfere with the tendency on mental health brought by individuals’ self-actualization,internal-external locus of control, extraversion, negative coping and cognitionvaviance. High or low self-consistency may also interfere with the effect on mentalhealth brought by internal-external locus of control and extraversion, even withoutsignificant influence. Consequently, when there are neuroticism at a high level orself-consistency, high or low, other personality factors can be used as the target forimprovement. Only in this way can mental health be improved more effectively.Since there is no interaction between such factors as the degree of self-esteem,love and ascription, self-efficiency, life meaning and other factors, it can beconcluded that these factors have relatively independent impact on mental health.There is gigantic significance on personality diagnosis and intervention by acomparative and integrative study on how different theories of personality affectvarious psychological symptoms. |
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