The relationship between sociotropy/autonomy and patterns of symptomatology in the depressed elderly

This study examined the relationship between the personality constructs of sociotropy and autonomy and clinical symptoms of depression among 80 elderly people reporting to a range of psychiatric services for the treatment of depression. These investigations provided support for the association of sociotropy to a hypothesized pattern of clinical symptomatology, but no support for the relationship of autonomy to its hypothesized pattern of symptoms. Future investigations on elderly depressive people needs to accommodate the clinical patterns more typical of this population. Research on the relationship between depression and personality would benefit from empirically derived symptom profiles. It may also need to take into account the influence of personality on changes in symptoms over and between episodes of depression.