The Relationship between Maladaptive Personality Traits and Interpersonal Problems in Elderly People

Objectives:

 Interpersonal relations play a decisive role in many areas of life. The effects of interpersonal variables on the mental health and personality disorders have been already reported. The present study aimed to investigate the role of maladaptive personality traits in prediction of interpersonal problems in older people. 

Methods & Materials:

 This is a descriptive correlational study. Study population consisted of all elderly people living in Tabriz, Iran in 2017. Of these, 294 were selected using a purposive sampling technique. In order to collect data, the Personality Inventory for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Brief Form (PID-5-BF) and the 32-item Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-32) were used. Collected data were analyzed in SPSS V. 32 software using descriptive (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and multiple regression analysis). 

Results:

 Participants were 48 men (16.3%) and 245 women (83.3%) aged 60-99 years (Mean age, 68±8.45). There was a significant relationship between maladaptive personality traits and interpersonal problems (P<0.05). Maladaptive personality traits could predict 59.2% of interpersonal problems. Moreover, the dimensions of psychoticism, antagonism, detachment, and disinhibition had significant effect on interpersonal problems (P<0.01) 

Conclusion:

 Maladaptive personality traits of the elderly people can predict their interpersonal problems.