Predictive significance of TCI-R for antidepressant treatment

The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of the Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R) dimensions of personality for prediction of treatment outcome in depressed outpatients during 6 months of antidepressant treatment.

Thirty outpatients were treated for mild or moderate depressive episode, current mild or moderate episode of recurrent depressive disorder or mixed anxiety and depressive disorder (ICD-10). The intensity of depression was assessed by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) at the beginning of treatment and then after the 1st, 3rd and 6th months of treatment. The personality dimensions were assessed by the TCI-R at the same time points as the MADRS. Differences in TCI-R dimensions between treatment responders (> or =50% decrease in MADRS score after 6 months of treatment) and nonresponders (<50% decrease in MADRS score) were compared by repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Predictive value for the treatment outcome was assessed by Spearman's correlation coefficient.

The predictive significance for treatment outcome (Spearman's correlation coefficient) was identified for reward dependence (RD) (R=-0.44) and harm avoidance (HA) (R=0.46) dimensions. Treatment responders and nonresponders significantly differed (ANOVA) in HA (p<0.05), showing a decrease in total mean HA score only in responders during treatment.

Our findings showed predictive significance of the TCI-R dimensions HA and RD for long-term antidepressant treatment outcome.