Premorbid personality: what it is and how to anticipate mental disorder

This behavioral alteration allows early detection of many psychiatric pathologies.

Before a mental disorder is consolidated in the subject, a series of indicators that respond to this situation usually appear. It is like the prelude to the disorder, which is known as premorbid personality..

In this article we will examine the concept of premorbid personality, we will see why it is important in the area of mental health, and we will give an overview of how premorbid personality can appear before a mental disorder is present.

What is premorbid personality?

This term is used within the psychological and psychiatric jargon as a way of referring to the specific changes and signs that subjects may present before suffering from a severe mental disorder.

Sudden personality changes, among other specific indicators in the person's behavior, can be taken into account as indicators of premorbid personality.

These behaviors are of variable character, depending on the characteristics of the subject's personality. When a mental disorder begins to develop in a person, there are several factors that have an impact on its progression in a certain way.

For example, within neurosis and psychosis there are a large number of underlying mental disorders.. Each one presents its individual characteristics and whether one of these disorders is established in a subject will depend on his environment and his personal characteristics.

How does it manifest itself?

As not all people are the same, not all mental illnesses are the same. Each of these pathologies develops differently in the minds of individuals, and it is from these individual and social differences that premorbid personality behaviors originate.

Thus, premorbid personality does not have a number of common defining characteristics beyond the fact that it is a change in the way the person behaves, which tends to produce non-normative behaviorsThe symptoms are usually preceded by the typical symptoms of an already developed mental disorder. Depending on the type of mental disorder or psychiatric illness, premorbid personality will be one way or another.

Its importance in mental health

This concept is especially important in the field of mental health because it represents a way of warning of the risk that a premorbid personality may be a way of warning of approaching risk. for the subject who is presenting these atypical behaviors in his behavior.

It works as a natural alert system of the organism that warns about possible psychotic or neurotic outbreaks, depending on the situation in each case. When these behaviors are identified in time, in many cases the subject could be prevented from presenting the outbreak..

We can see as an example schizoid personality behavior and schizotypal disorder, which are usually a preview of an approaching schizophrenic disorder in the subject.

Detecting changes

It is important that both the affected person and the members of his or her immediate environment know how to identify these behaviors when they occur, bearing in mind that they can prevent further damage to the person. can prevent further damage.

At the beginning it will be difficult to adapt to this system, but with a process of induction by a behavioral specialist and after some time, the subject and his environment will take this situation as something natural and proper of their lives.

As long as the subject has a greater capacity to realize and internalize his reality (insight capacity), he will be less likely to present episodes or outbreaks of his disorder, since he will know how to identify the signs of his own disorder. they will be able to identify the signs of their own behavior..

Chronic illnesses

A difference should be made between a controllable mental disorder and a chronic one, since in the first case measures should be taken to avoid the episode as much as possible, while in the second case, measures should be taken with the intention of to diminish the deterioration and to procure a better quality of life for the affected subject.. For example, such measures should be considered in the case of Alzheimer's disease.

The earlier the signs of irregular behavior characteristic of Alzheimer's disease are identified in the subject, the greater the chances of effective treatment to extend the quality of life. that will lengthen the quality of life.

For example, longitudinal studies have shown through their results that patients with some form of dementia, whose behavioral changes characteristic of premorbid personality symptoms have been identified, tend to be more cooperative as the disease progresses.

Although it is imminent that in the future they will present the pathology, it has been determined that the importance of detecting premorbid symptoms early is significant symptoms early is significant for the future of the subject and his or her family environment.

In summary

In conclusion, it can be said that premorbid personality is of utmost importance for the prevention and channeling of mental disorders in all their categories. prevention and channeling of mental disorders in all their categories, especially those that caused significant changes in the personality of the subjects.especially those that caused significant changes in the personality of the subjects.

The treatment of a pathology should not necessarily begin when it is already established in the subject; the most advisable is to recognize the signs of behavioral change and act as soon as possible, before the disease is completed.

The benefits will be seen in the medium and long term, all depending on the various personal and social factors of individuals.

Bibliographical references:

• American Psychiatric Association, (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.
• Rosenbloom M.H., Smith S., Akdal G., Geschwind M.D. (2009). Immunologically mediated dementias. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep (Review) 9 (5): 359-67.