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High harm avoidance and low self-directedness in euthymic young adults with recurrent, early-onset depression
Daniel J Smith1, Laura Duffy, Mary E Stewart
1Division of Psychiatry, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside Park, Edinburgh EH10 5HF, UK. daniel.smith@ed.ac.uk
Journal of Affective Disorders
|June 22, 2005
Summary
High harm avoidance (HA) and low self-directedness (SD) are trait markers for recurrent major depressive disorder in young adults. These personality dimensions may indicate a predisposition to depression, even in euthymic individuals.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Genetics
Background:
- Personality dimensions, harm avoidance (HA) and self-directedness (SD), measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), are linked to depression.
- Previous studies often used heterogeneous samples and were confounded by depressed mood.
- This study investigates TCI personality dimensions in euthymic young adults with recurrent early-onset major depressive disorder (RE-MDD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare TCI personality dimension scores in euthymic young adults with RE-MDD to well-matched euthymic controls.
- To identify potential trait markers for depression liability.
- To explore the independent contribution of HA and SD to the familial risk of depression.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 52 young adults with a history of RE-MDD and 89 controls.
- Ensured euthymia using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD) for patients and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for controls.
- Administered the TCI-125 to all participants.
Main Results:
- Euthymic RE-MDD patients exhibited significantly higher HA scores (14.5 vs. 7.8) compared to controls.
- Euthymic RE-MDD patients showed significantly lower SD scores (14.1 vs. 19.9) than controls.
- Covariance analysis indicated that both HA and SD independently contribute to the familial risk of depression.
Conclusions:
- Elevated HA and low SD scores are identified as trait markers for liability to recurrent major depressive disorder in young adults.
- These findings suggest a potential genetic predisposition to depression.
- Further research is required to validate these findings and examine the impact of depressive episodes on personality scores.