Personality in clinical psychology

Thomas A. Widiger, Gillian A. Mccabe

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Clinical psychology is the psychological specialty that provides mental and behavioral health care for individuals and families, seeking to improve persons' mental health, physical health and quality of life. Clinical psychology integrates science, theory and clinical experience as a means to understand, prevent and relieve distress and dysfunction and promote wellbeing and personal development. Personality is inherently intertwined with outcomes related to health and quality of life; therefore, an understanding of personality is of fundamental importance to the goals of clinical psychology. There was a time when the importance of personality - if not its very existence - were called into question. Some contended that behaviors were merely situationally specific responses to environmental stimuli rather than the result of any stable dispositions (Mischel, 1968). This period of doubt and skepticism has long since passed, as it has become undeniably evident that personality traits are not only real but are of clinical significance. The purpose of the current chapter is to present the predominant model of personality (the Five-Factor Model [FFM]), and indicate its importance to the development of psychopathology, including in particular the personality disorders. The implications of the particular importance of personality to the development of psychopathology are then discussed (e.g., perhaps treatment should begin early and focus on personality itself).

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThe Cambridge Handbook of Personality Psychology
Subtitle of host publicationSecond Edition
Pages451-462
Number of pages12
ISBN (Electronic)9781108264822
StatePublished - Sep 3 2020

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Cambridge University Press 2020. All rights reserved.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Psychology
  • General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Personality in clinical psychology'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this