Personal values in mental disorders: an exploratory analysis

Personal values have increasingly become central in socio-psychological research. However, the relationships between values and psychopathological variables have been scarcely investigated, with mixed results. This study aimed to explore potential differences in value orientation in a sample of people with psychotic disorders and mood disorders compared to a non-clinical sample using the Schwarz’s values framework. A clinical sample of 162 subjects (92 subjects with psychotic disorders and 70 with mood disorders) and a non-clinical sample of 217 subjects completed the self-report measures of affective states (PANAS) and personal values (PVQ). Irrespective of the diagnostic group, the clinical sample showed higher expression of Conservation values (i.e., Tradition, Conformity, Security). Conservation and Self-enhancement values positively correlated with PANAS-positive affectivity in the clinical sample; in the non-clinical sample, Self-enhancement values only correlated with PANAS-positive affectivity. The expression of Conservation values in individuals with a mental disorder could reflect an orientation toward Conformity underlying fundamental affiliative goals. The complex relationship between personal values and clinical constructs should be further investigated, with important theoretical and clinical implications in mental health.