| Abstract [eng] |
Over the past decade, the field of personality pathology has shifted from a categorical to a dimensional conceptualization, as reflected in international classification systems. Central to this shift is the construct of personality functioning; however, empirical research on its manifestation, course, and clinical relevance in adolescence remains limited, despite adolescence being a critical developmental window for the emergence of personality pathology. The aim of this dissertation was to examine personality functioning by evaluating its validity in a mixed sample of Lithuanian adolescents, assessing trajectories of personality functioning over a two-year follow-up period, and investigating its cross-sectional and prospective associations with psychological and psychosocial factors. The dissertation is based on four empirical studies conducted within a prospective research project at the Developmental Psychopathology Research Center, Institute of Psychology, Vilnius University. The findings support the conceptualization of personality functioning as a central dimension of personality pathology, demonstrating its validity and highlighting its importance in adolescence through prospective associations with psychosocial functioning, beyond other psychological difficulties. In addition, adverse childhood experiences, particularly emotional maltreatment, were associated with impaired personality functioning, with psychological difficulties partially accounting for these relationships. Longitudinal analyses identified four distinct and relatively stable trajectories of personality functioning, reflecting different levels of severity, with group membership associated with psychological difficulties, particularly affective, anxiety, and attention-related problems. Overall, this dissertation provides longitudinal empirical evidence supporting the dimensional model of personality pathology in adolescence and underscores the importance of early identification of personality functioning difficulties in clinical practice. |
