Journal
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
Volume 70, Issue 1, Pages 95-99Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/S0165-0327(00)00371-2
Keywords
personality; depression; temporal stability
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Background: Certain personality characteristics may change during depression, reflecting temporary states, while others remain stable. This study investigates the stability of personality during depression. Identification of depression-sensitive personality traits may help to elucidate the mechanisms that influence course and outcome of depression. Methods: For 42 ambulatory and 38 day care patients with a depressive disorder, depression severity and personality characteristics were measured repeatedly during a 12 week-period. The total HDRS score was indicative of depression severity, while the NEO-FFI was used for measurement of basic personality traits and the IPS for depression-specific traits. Results: In 12 weeks, depression severity significantly decreased for both patient groups. The Big Five traits Neuroticism and Extraversion and all but one aspect of Interpersonal sensitivity showed depression-related changes towards the normal range. Openness, Altruism and Conscientiousness remained stable. Limitations: The number of patients excluded from the study due to missing data is substantial. Furthermore, it was not possible to control for treatment influence due to a double-blind design. Conclusions: Neuroticism, Extraversion and Interpersonal sensitivity scores are likely to reflect state components during a depression, while the stability of Openness, Conscientiousness and Altruism scores indicates pure personality traits. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
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