Do personality traits predict first onset in depressive and bipolar disorder?

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Psychology
• Affective Disorders Research
• Personality Trait Analysis

Background:

• Investigating the relationship between personality traits and affective disorders.
• Examining the vulnerability hypothesis (personality predicting mood disorder onset) and the scar hypothesis (mood disorders altering personality).

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review evidence on personality traits predicting the first depressive or manic episode.
• To assess if mood disorders alter personality traits.
• To explore the association between personality and bipolar disorder.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of population-based and high-risk studies.
• Inclusion of nine cross-sectional high-risk, seven longitudinal high-risk, and nine longitudinal population-based studies.
• Analysis focused on adult participants.

Main Results:

• Most studies support the vulnerability hypothesis, indicating neuroticism as a premorbid risk factor for depressive disorder.
• Evidence for the scar hypothesis is sparse, though strongest study designs showed support for both hypotheses.
• Limited research exists for bipolar disorder, leaving its association with personality traits unclear.

Conclusions:

• Neuroticism appears to be a key risk factor for identifying vulnerable individuals and potentially preventing depressive disorder.
• Further investigation is required to understand the link between personality traits and bipolar disorder development.
• The personality-changing effects of affective episodes necessitate further research.