his study examined associations between university students’ subjective vitality, perfectionism subtypes, basic psychological need satisfaction, and self-compassion. The study tested whether differences in vitality across perfectionism groups could be explained by self-compassion and the satisfaction of autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs. A total of 166 students from Lithuanian universities completed an online questionnaire. Measures included the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised, the Subjective Vitality Scale, the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form, and the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction Scale. Cluster analysis identified adaptive perfectionist, maladaptive perfectionist, and non-perfectionist profiles among the participants. Data were analyzed by using Pearson correlation, ANOVA, and parallel mediation analysis. Results showed significant group differences across vitality, self-compassion, and all three basic psychological needs. Adaptive perfectionists reported the highest vitality, need satisfaction, and self-compassion. Maladaptive perfectionists reported significantly lower scores compared to adaptive perfectionists on all variables. Non-perfectionists showed lower basic psychological need satisfaction and self-compassion than adaptive perfectionists, except for vitality – it did not differ between the two groups. No differences were found between maladaptive perfectionists and non-perfectionists. Mediation analysis showed that self-compassion, competence need satisfaction, and relatedness (only for maladaptive perfectionism) need satisfaction significantly mediated the relationship between perfectionism and vitality. The findings suggest that adaptive perfectionism is linked to higher vitality through greater self-compassion and stronger satisfaction of competence and relatedness needs.
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is highly prevalent among adolescents receiving mental health services; it has been increasingly linked to impairments in personality development. However, less is known about how NSSI relates to the dimensional construct of the level of personality functioning (LPF). This study examined associations between LPF and NSSI characteristics in a clinical adolescent sample. The participants were 104 adolescents receiving mental health services in Lithuania (M age = 15.03 years, SD = 1.47). LPF was assessed by using the clinician-rated Semi-Structured Interview for Personality Functioning DSM-5 (STiP-5.1), and NSSI was assessed by using a researcher-developed questionnaire. Overall, 71.2% of adolescents reported a history of NSSI. NSSI prevalence increased progressively with greater impairments in personality functioning, from 20.0% among adolescents with normative functioning to 95.8% among those with severe impairment. Self-functioning impairments demonstrated stronger associations with NSSI than interpersonal functioning impairments. Although the age of onset and lifetime frequency of NSSI did not significantly differ across LPF, higher levels of personality dysfunction were associated with more recent NSSI and a greater likelihood of self-injury requiring medical attention. Emotion regulation was the most frequently endorsed function of NSSI, whereas adolescents with greater personality dysfunction more often reported interpersonal motives. The findings underscore the importance of assessing personality functioning in adolescents who self-injure to facilitate early identification and timely intervention for youth at risk for persistent and clinically severe NSSI.
As we discuss in this paper, physical attractiveness is not the only way to define a person`s appeal. We suggest that personality traits also have an impact on the perceived attractiveness of a person. The main objective of this paper was to assess the men’s perspective on the attraction of women with characteristics of Dark Triad traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy). This study was based on a quasi-experimental design in which 94 men participated. Participants were randomly presented with one of two scenarios about the day of woman X, where the expression of the Dark Triad personality traits (low and high) was manipulated. Our research results revealed that women with a high level of Dark Triad traits are perceived by men to be less attractive (n = 52) than women with a low level of Dark Triad traits (n = 42). Our results partially support the idea that women are perceived as more attractive if they meet certain gender norms such as being friendly, community-oriented, being less aggressive, and non-manipulative.
This article examines the method of clinical case study in psychotherapy, with the aim of evaluating its place within the contemporary psychological and psychotherapeutic scientific discourse and defining its methodological and epistemological potential. Drawing on the longstanding critique of single-case (N=1) research, most commonly based on arguments of limited generalisability, the article proposes that such evaluations fail to adequately reflect the methodological specificity and epistemic value of clinical case studies. The first part of the article presents the development of the case study method, from early anthropological research to the psychoanalytic tradition, in which, the case study became established as a central form of theory construction and clinical thinking. Contemporary developments in case study research are also discussed, highlighting the importance of clinical case studies due to their capacity to maintain a close connection with everyday therapeutic practice. In the second part of the article, drawing on a clinical example, the article demonstrates how single-case analysis enables a systematic and multi-layered examination of the patient’s experience, the dynamics of the therapeutic relationship, diagnostic reasoning, and the functioning of theoretical assumptions within a specific clinical context. The article presents recommendations for writing clinical case studies, addressing key structural, methodological, and ethical aspects. The clinical case study method is thus understood not as an alternative or secondary approach, but as an essential form of knowledge in psychotherapy, enabling the investigation of complex psychological phenomena within their unique context.
Safety has become an increasingly relevant topic in Lithuania in the context of recent geopolitical events. This study examined changes in perceived safety, safety as a value, and political news consumption among Lithuanians by using repeated cross-sectional data from the European Social Survey collected in 2018 (n = 1835), 2020 (n = 1659), and 2023 (n = 1365). Between-wave comparisons and correlational analyses were conducted. The results showed that perceived safety was higher in 2020 and 2023 compared to 2018, while the importance of safety as a value remained stable across waves. Political news consumption decreased in 2020 and increased again in 2023 compared to 2018.
