Identifying overcontrol and undercontrol personality types among young people using the five factor model, and the relationship with disordered eating behaviour, anxiety and depression

Tanya Gilmartin; Joanna F Dipnall; Caroline Gurvich; Gemma Sharp

doi:10.1186/s40337-024-00967-4

Identifying overcontrol and undercontrol personality types among young people using the five factor model, and the relationship with disordered eating behaviour, anxiety and depression

J Eat Disord. 2024 Jan 24;12(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s40337-024-00967-4.

Authors

Tanya Gilmartin¹, Joanna F Dipnall^{2

3}, Caroline Gurvich⁴, Gemma Sharp⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neuroscience, Monash University and the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. tanya.gilmartin1@monash.edu.
² School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, 3004, Australia.
³ Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, 3220, Australia.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, HER CENTRE Australia, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
⁵ Department of Neuroscience, Monash University and the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.

Abstract

Background: Overcontrol and undercontrol personality types have been associated with an increase in eating pathology, depression and anxiety. The aim of the research was to explore whether latent overcontrol and undercontrol personality types could be identified using cluster analysis of the facets of the five factor model (FFM). We further aimed to understand how these personality types were associated with eating pathology, depressed mood and anxiety.

Methods: A total of 561 participants (394 women and 167 men), aged 16-30 years in Australia completed a survey designed to assess disordered eating, FFM personality traits, anxiety, depression and stress. A systematic four-step process using hierarchical, k-means, and random forest cluster analyses were used to identify a meaningful 3-cluster solution.

Results: The results revealed a cluster solution that represented overcontrol, undercontrol and resilient personality types, and highlighted facets of the FFM that were associated with each type. Both overcontrol and undercontrol personality types were associated with increased clinical symptoms compared to the resilient types.

Conclusions: It was concluded that FFM facets may potentially be more meaningful than broad domains in identifying personality types, and that both overcontrol and undercontrol personality types are likely associated with increased clinical symptoms.

Keywords: Disordered eating; Eating disorders; Overcontrol; Personality types; Resilient; Undercontrol.

Plain language summary

Personality has previously been found to be strongly related to eating disorders and disordered eating. A person’s personality is made up by a series of personality traits. A series of traits grouped together is called a personality type. Three broad personality types have been identified consistently in previous research, being overcontrol (rigid, perfectionistic), undercontrol (impulsive, mood dependent) and resilient (flexible, low pathology). Understanding eating disorders in the context of overcontrol, undercontrol and resilient personality types has been found to be predict disordered eating behaviour and treatment course for people with eating disorders. This study aimed to identify personality types using the well known five factor model of personality among a group of Australian young people. We also aimed to understand the relationships between personality type and eating pathology. It was found that a wider range of personality traits may be more meaningful than broad domains in identifying personality types. It was further found that individuals who were overcontrol or undercontrol were more likely to experience eating pathology and disordered eating compared to resilient types. Overall, this means that that the five factor model of personality may be useful for identifying people at risk for developing an eating disorder and to consider treatment needs.