Male depression syndrome is characterized by pronounced Cluster B personality traits

Background: Male depression syndrome (Male-DS) refers to alternative depression symptoms related to the male sex, such as externalizing behaviors, emotional suppression, substance misuse, and risk-seeking. Although these symptoms contribute to gender bias in the diagnosis of depression, Male-DS can be found in both sexes. In this cross-sectional study, we analyzed associations between Male-DS and clinical personality accentuations. Methods: We compared clinical personality accentuations between 78 depressed patients with high Male-DS scores (46% women; mean age +/- standard error of the mean: 36.5 +/- 1.6 years) and 76 depressed patients with low Male-DS scores (43% women; age 44.8 +/- 1.7 years). We also explored differences between the two patient groups and 176 healthy controls (51% women; age 37.2 +/- 1.0 years). Results: Depressed patients with high Male-DS scores showed stronger borderline (partial eta 2 0.121), impulsive (0.112), and antisocial (0.078) personality accentuations than those with low Male-DS scores after Bonferroni adjustment and controlling for sex, depression severity, and age. Relative to healthy controls, patients with high Male-DS values scored higher in all personality dimensions except for the narcissistic dimension. Patients with low Male-DS values scored higher in all Cluster A and C dimensions and the impulsive and borderline dimensions, but their scores were lower in the narcissistic dimension. Limitations: Cross-sectional design and focus on in-patients. Conclusions: We found pronounced Cluster B personality in patients with high Male-DS scores versus patients with low scores. Further prospective research is needed to verify that Cluster B personality traits represent a premorbid risk factor for Male-DS.

Automated summary

The study found that depressed patients with high Male-DS scores exhibited stronger Cluster B personality traits, suggesting that these traits may represent a premorbid risk factor for Male-DS. Further prospective research is needed to confirm this relationship.