How personality functioning shapes symptom development during and after treatment: A random intercept cross lagged panel analysis

Fuchshuber J, Kessler H, Kehyayan A, Pape M, Hofmann T, Rose M, Imbierowicz K, Geiser F, Croy I, Weidner K, Rademacher J, Michalek S, Morawa E, Erim Y, Teufel M, Bäuerle A, Heinzmann S, Lahmann C, Peters EMJ, Kruse J, von Boetticher D, Herrmann-Lingen C, Nöhre M, de Zwaan M, Dinger U, Friederich HC, Niecke A, Albus C, Zwerenz R, Beutel M, Roenneberg C, Henningsen P, Stein B, Waller C, Hake K, Spitzer C, Stengel A, Zipfel S, Weimer K, Gündel H, Herpertz S, Doering S (2026)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

Book Volume: 148

Article Number: 152712

DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2026.152712

Abstract

Objectives: This study investigates the long-term influence of fluctuations around the individual's means of personality functioning (PF) on mental and physical symptoms in a large sample of patients receiving psychotherapy. Methods: We reanalyzed observational data of 2094 participants (68% female; age M = 39.89 years; SD = 14.20 years) which took part in the Multicenter Effectiveness Study of Inpatient Psychosomatic Psychotherapeutic Treatment (short: MEPP) at three time points. A Random Intercept-Cross Lagged Panel Model (RI-CLPM) was used to examine within-person longitudinal effects between PF (OPD-SQS) and depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7) and somatic symptom load (PHQ-15). The model was controlled for age, sex, treatment condition and treatment length. Results: Strong between-person intercorrelations were observed between all investigated constructs. At the longitudinal within-person level PF at hospital discharge predicted somatic symptom load (p < .01), depressive symptoms, anxiety and itself (all p < .05) at follow up, however, PF showed no effect during treatment (p > .05). Furthermore, depressive symptoms at baseline influenced general symptom burden and PF development during treatment (all p < .05) and showed strong effects on anxiety and somatic symptoms at follow up (p < .001). Conclusions: The results suggest a sustained influence of intraindividual PF deviations on general symptom development after psychotherapy, but also emphasize the effect of depressive symptoms in psychotherapy outcomes.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

Universität Duisburg-Essen (UDE) Germany (DE) Medizinische Universität Wien Austria (AT) Universitätsklinikum Bonn Germany (DE) Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf Germany (DE) Universitätsmedizin der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz Germany (DE) Klinikum der Universität München (LMU Klinikum) Germany (DE) Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität, Nürnberg Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg Germany (DE) Universität zu Köln Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Tübingen Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Ulm Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Göttingen Germany (DE) Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (MHH) / Hannover Medical School Germany (DE) Universitätsmedizin Rostock Germany (DE) Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen Germany (DE) Universitätsklinikum Freiburg Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Fuchshuber, J., Kessler, H., Kehyayan, A., Pape, M., Hofmann, T., Rose, M.,... Doering, S. (2026). How personality functioning shapes symptom development during and after treatment: A random intercept cross lagged panel analysis. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2026.152712

MLA:

Fuchshuber, Jürgen, et al. "How personality functioning shapes symptom development during and after treatment: A random intercept cross lagged panel analysis." Comprehensive Psychiatry 148 (2026).

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