Application of the STIPO-R in Italy across community and clinical individuals

The revised version of the Structured Interview for Personality Organization (STIPO-R) is a valuable assessment tool of the key domains of personality organization as conceptualized in Kernberg’s object relations theory. Its applicability and psychometric properties in the Italian population have not been explored yet. The STIPO-R was administered to 350 Italian participants: 170 were nonclinical volunteers from the general population, while 180 were clinical individuals recruited from residential treatment facilities and day hospital centers. The theoretical dimensionality of the STIPO-R was tested through Confirmatory Factor Analysis while considering replicability across clinical and community individuals and investigating the internal consistency of each scale. Convergent validity was established using criterion measures of maladaptive personality (Inventory of Personality Organization and Personality Inventory for DSM-5) and general psychopathology (Symptom Checklist 90-R and Pathological Narcissism Inventory). Finally, a network analysis was conducted on the STIPO-R domains and subdomains to elucidate the interrelationships among personality organization components and investigate differences in their underlying structure in the community versus clinical sample. Findings contribute to providing a standardized and culturally sensitive tool for personality assessment in Italy, enhancing diagnostic accuracy, treatment planning, and psychotherapy research.