Personality in individuals with mild intellectual disability to borderline intellectual functioning: a comparative study
| Date | 21 February 2024 |
| Pages | 38-48 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/AMHID-10-2023-0036 |
| Published date | 21 February 2024 |
| Author | Kim Lie Sam Foek-Rambelje,Kirsten Copier,Robert Didden,Esmay Haacke,Paul van der Heijden,Jos Egger |
Personality in individuals with mild
intellectual disability to borderline intellectual
functioning: a comparative study
Kim Lie Sam Foek-Rambelje, Kirsten Copier, Robert Didden, Esmay Haacke,
Paul van der Heijden and Jos Egger
Abstract
Purpose –This study aims to investigate the distinctive personality traits and characteristicsof
individuals with borderlineintellectual functioning (BIF) and mild intellectual disability (MID) within
specializedcenters for MID-BIF treatment and care comparedwith individuals without MID-BIF diagnosis
gatheredfrom general mental health care (GMH) settings.
Design/methodology/approach –Patients classified with MID-BIF (n¼58), most with comorbid
psychopathology, were thoroughly interviewed by trained clinicians who afterward completed the
Shedler–Westen Assessment Procedure (SWAP-200) about the patient. The authors compared SWAP-200
profiles of MID-BIF patients with profiles of GMH individuals. In addition, the authors have compared these
profiles for the MID and BIF groups (differentiated based on previously knownintelligence quotient scores).
Findings –Resultsshow significantly higher scores for the MID-BIF groupthan the GMH group on scales
encompassing emotional instability, impulsivity and antagonism. On scales containing constraint and
healthy traits, significantly lower scores were found for the MID-BIF group than for the GMH group.
Importance of including SWAP-200 personality assessmentfor a more comprehensive understanding
and treatmentplanning for individuals with MID-BIF is discussed.
Originality/value –This study offers insights intopersonality within individualswith an MID-BIF
diagnosis,compared with individuals in a GMH setting.
Keywords SWAP, Borderline intellectual functioning, Mild intellectualdisability,
Personality assessment
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Individuals with mild intellectual disability (MID) and borderline intellectual functioning (BIF)
vary with regard to personality characteristics. They are likely to have different life
experiences and circumstances from those of individuals with average intellectual
functioning (Zigler et al.,2002). Personality entails a dynamic and organized set of traits
(emotions, thoughts and behavior) that belong to an individual and describe how a person
will react and think in certain situations and what drives them (McAdams and Olson, 2010).
Personality development is influenced by biological substrates, psychosocial factors,
experiences, learning processes and the environment (McAdams and Adler, 2014). People
with MID-BIF are a group at risk of developing personality characteristics that hinder their
functioning, and this may be related to different factors. For example, neurological factors,
predispositions, chronic imbalance between environmental demands and limited adaptive
capacities,victimization and negative self-image(Zigler et al.,2002).
Current literature has mainly focused on diagnostic statistical manual, 5th edition (DSM-5) or
diagnostic statistical manual, 4th edition, text revision (DSM-IV-TR) personality disorder (PD)
(Informationabout the
authorscan be found at the
end of this article.)
Received 8 October 2023
Revised 27 December 2023
Accepted 23 January 2024
The authors wish to thank
Monique Delforterie, PhD,
research psychologist, and
Teunis van den Hazel, MSc,
clinical psychologist, for their
critical discussion on the
subject and helpful comments.
Declaration of interest
statement: The authors declare
no conflicts of interest.
PAGE 38 jADVANCES IN MENTAL HEALTH AND INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES jVOL. 18 NO. 12024, pp. 38-48,©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2044-1282DOI 10.1108/AMHID-10-2023-0036
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