Maladaptive Personality Traits in Primary Care: Validation of the German Modified Brief Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID5BF + M)

This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the modified brief Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID5BF + M) in primary care (PC) using data from n = 1,030 German patients. Furthermore, differences in maladaptive personality traits between PC patients and the general population were explored. Confirmatory factor analysis supported factorial validity (CFI = 0.949, TLI = 0.942, RMSEA = 0.044, and SRMR = 0.058). Reliability was adequate across domain scales (ωH: 0.75-0.85). PID5BF + M total and domain scale scores, particularly negative affectivity, correlated significantly positively with depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), and somatic symptoms (PHQ-15), indicating convergent validity. Regression analyses showed PC to be associated with lower levels of maladaptive personality traits, compared with a representative German population sample (n = 4,172). These findings highlight the PID5BF + M as a valid and reliable tool for assessing personality pathology and maladaptive traits in PC, enabling general practitioners to screen for transdiagnostic indicators of mental health conditions.