Investigating general and specific psychopathology factors with nuance-level personality traits

Mental health disorders share substantial variance, prompting researchers to develop structural models that can capture both generalised psychopathology risk and disorder/symptom specific variation. This study investigated the associations of the general and specific psychopathology factors with multiple personality trait hierarchy levels: broad domains, their facets and nuances (N=1,839 Estonian adults). A bi-factor model with a general ‘p-' factor and specific factors for internalising problems, thought disorders and substance use best represented psychopathology structure. Although traits’ predictive accuracy varied across psychopathology factors, nuances (the lowest level personality units) provided higher predictive accuracy and higher discriminant validity than domains. For example, traits related to high vulnerability, depression and immoderation and low friendliness and achievement-striving were most strongly associated with the p-factor. Nuances may prove useful for predicting and understanding general and specific psychopathology forms.