Premorbid personality assessments of first onset of major depression

This is a report on personality traits associated with the first onset of major depression in a sample of high-risk subjects. The subjects are the first-degree relatives, spouses, and their controls of patients with affective disorders. None of these subjects had any history of mental disorder as of their initial evaluation. In the subsequent six years, 29 subjects had a first onset of major depression. These first onset subjects were compared with 370 subjects who continued to be free of illness during the six-year follow-up. Personality traits were assessed at the initial evaluation (ie, before the onset of depression in subjects with first onset) by means of scales from five self-report inventories. Lower emotional strength and resiliency significantly differentiated the first onset from the never ill group; overall differences were not found on measures of interpersonal dependency or extraversion. Age was a significant predictor of first onset, both alone (younger age predicted first onsets) and in interaction with personality measures. Among younger subjects (17 to 30 years of age), personality variables did not significantly discriminate between the two comparison groups. Among older subjects (31 to 41 years of age), however, decreased emotional strength, increased interpersonal dependency, and increased thoughtfulness were associated with first onset of depression.     

Social support, neuropsychological performance, and depression in HIV infection.

The present study was designed to examine the impact of neuropsychological performance on the relationships between stress, social support, and depression in 217 HIV-infected men. Using path analysis, the contributions of four domains of cognitive functioning (memory, attention, executive function, and psychomotor speed), IQ, and relevant psychosocial variables to depression were evaluated. In the model which best fit the data, cognitive domains did not contribute directly to depression, but contributed significantly to psychosocial variables which affected levels of depression. Attention and executive function contributed to reduced illness-related disability; while higher IQ was associated with fewer stressful life events. Number of stressful life events and level of illness-related disability were associated with depressive symptoms. Higher IQ led to greater numbers of social contacts, which was associated with fewer reported symptoms of depression. These findings suggest that better neuropsychological performance may lead to reduced stress and perceived disability, and more available social contacts. By these multiple paths, different domains of cognitive ability contribute indirectly to ameliorating depression in HIV-infected men.     

产后抑郁症患者与人格、社会支持的相关研究

目的 探讨产后抑郁症与人格、社会支持的关系.方法 共计1 292例初产妇,诊断为产后抑郁症的232例为研究组,而无抑郁症状的1060例为对照组,问卷评定采用爱丁堡产后抑郁量表、艾森克个性问卷及社会支持评定量表.结果 产后抑郁症的检出率为17.96%.研究组的E维度、L维度因子分评分显著低于对照组(P<0.05),而研究组的N维度因子分评分显著高于对照组(P<0.05).研究组的客观支持、主观支持、利用度因子评分显著低于对照组(P<0.05).结论 产后抑郁症与患者的人格特征及社会支持等因素有关.     

Social support, life events, and depression during pregnancy and the puerperium

A sample of 99 women was studied prospectively from the second trimester of pregnancy until nine weeks post partum. Depressed and nondepressed women identified at the second-trimester assessment and the postpartum assessment were compared on measures of stressful life events and social support provided by their spouses and close confidants. Nine percent of women during pregnancy and 12% of women after delivery were depressed. Women experiencing postpartum depression reported more stressful life events and less support from their spouses after delivery than the women not experiencing postpartum depression. Women experiencing depression during pregnancy reported somewhat less support from their spouses and more support from their confidants than nondepressed women. The results of the study suggest that different causes may be responsible for prepartum and postpartum depression.     

Social support and depression of adults with visual impairments

Relatively little research exists with regard to the relationship between social support and depression among adults with visual impairments. Such a gap is noteworthy when one considers that individuals become more dependent on others as they enter middle and late adulthood. The present research will examine the association between social networks, social support and depression among adults with visual impairments. Seventy-seven adults with visual impairments participated in the study. Depression, social network and emotional/practical social support were measured with self-report measures. Additionally, the degree to which emotional/practical social support received were positive or negative and the ability of respondents to self-manage their daily living were assessed. Less than a third of respondents scored above the threshold for depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were not related to gender or vision status. Depression was correlated with age, educational level, less positive practical support, more negative practical support and more negative emotional support, with lower perceptions of self-management representing the most robust predictor of depression. Age moderated the relationship between depression and self-management, and between depression and negative emotional support. Lower perceptions of self-management and negative emotional support were significantly associated with depressive symptoms.     

Personality, personality disorders and depression

Personality is one of most frequently investigated fields in depression research and, despite changes in research paradigms, has not lost its relevance. Numerous results concerning the conceptualization of conspicuous personality traits, their aetiopathogenetic significance, and their effect on treatment and course have contributed to a better understanding of depression. Genetics and neurobiology provide new incentives for research in this field. We present an overview of aspects relevant to personality research in depression including personality types, personality traits, temperament factors, and personality disorders. Especially results on personality factors' effect on treatment and course of depression, integrating these results with different personality models in depression, and their consequences to treatment and further research of personality traits in depression are discussed.     

Social support, depression, and functional disability in older adult primary-care patients.

OBJECTIVE: The authors asked whether social support and depression are independently associated with functional disability and examined the potential role of social support as a moderator in the depression-functional disability association. METHODS: Subjects were 305 patients age 60 years and over. Predictor variables were social support, depressive symptoms, and depression diagnosis. Dependent variables were the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, the Physical Self-Maintenance Scale, and the Physical Functioning subscale of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. Authors used multiple-regression analyses. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms and all dimensions of social support were independently associated with functional disability: the specifics of these relationships varied among types of social support and functional disability. Depression diagnosis was not independently associated with any functional disability measure. Social support (more instrumental help, more perceived satisfaction) moderated some depression diagnosis-functional disability associations, and one depressive symptom-functional disability association. CONCLUSIONS: The study hypotheses were partially confirmed. Different dimensions of social support have important and varied roles in the depression-functional disability dynamic. Future research is needed to further specify the complex relationships among depression, social support, and functional disability.     

Social support in depression: structural and functional factors,perceived control and help-seeking

Aims.This study examined the associations of social support, loneliness and locus of control with depression and help-seeking in persons with major depression.Methods.Twelve-month help-seeking for emotional problems was assessed in a cross-sectional 2006 Estonian Health Survey. Non-institutionalized individuals aged 18–84 years (n = 6105) were interviewed. A major depressive episode was assessed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview. Factors describing social support, social and emotional loneliness and locus of control were assessed, and their associations with depression were analysed. The associations with reported help-seeking behaviour among people identified as having a major depressive episode (n = 343) were explored.Results.Low frequency of contacts with one''s friends and parents, emotional loneliness, external locus of control and emotional dissatisfaction with couple relations were significant factors predicting depression in the multivariate model. External locus of control was associated with help-seeking in the depressed sample. Interactions of emotional loneliness, locus of control and frequency of contacts with parents significantly predicted help-seeking in the depressed sample.Conclusions.Depression is associated with structural and functional factors of social support and locus of control. Help-seeking of depressed persons depends on locus of control, interactions of emotional loneliness, locus of control and contacts with the parental family.Key words: Emotional loneliness, help-seeking, major depression, social support     

Social support, personality and depressive symptoms over 7 years: the Health and Lifestyle cohort

  Background: We tested the hypothesis that a negative relationship between social support and depression is stronger in extroverts. Methods: Data on social support and personality were obtained from an existing cohort of 9003 adults (the Health and Lifestyle Survey, UK), of whom 3594 respondents who were followed-up 7 years later contributed to the present analysis. Six depression items from the 30-item General Health Questionnaire, summed, were divided into five levels and a proportional odds analysis was performed. Information on social support was also obtained at follow-up. Results: For females, there was a highly significant interaction between Time of Residence in Area and extroversion (P < 0.001). For males, interactions involving Adults in Household and Living as Married reached borderline significance (0.05 < P < 0.10). Eleven other interactions with extroversion were non-significant (P > 0.10). Conclusion: It is unlikely that a lack of social support is more or less harmful for introverts, although the hypothesis should be re-tested in a study with a much shorter period of follow-up and higher response rate. Accepted: 11 May 2000     

Borderline personality disorder and depression severity predict suicidal outcomes: A six-month prospective cohort study of depression,bipolar depression,and borderline personality disorder

Background

Suicide risk is high in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Whether risk levels of and risk factors for suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA) are similar or different in these disorders remains unclear, as few directly comparative studies exist. The relationship of short-term changes in depression severity and SI is underinvestigated, and might differ across groups, for example, between BPD and non-BPD patients.

Methods

We followed, for 6 months, a cohort of treatment-seeking, major depressive episode (MDE) patients in psychiatric care (original n = 124), stratified into MDE/MDD, MDE/BD and MDE/BPD subcohorts. We examined risks of suicide-related outcomes and their risk factors prospectively. We examined the covariation of SI and depression over time with biweekly online modified Patient Health Questionnaire 9 surveys and analysed this relationship through multi-level modelling.

Results

Risk of SA in BPD (22.2%) was higher than non-BPD (4.23%) patients. In regression models, BPD severity was correlated with risk of SA and clinically significant SI. During follow-up, mean depression severity and changes in depression symptoms were associated with SI risk regardless of diagnosis.

Conclusions

Concurrent BPD in depression seems predictive for high risk of SA. Severity of BPD features is relevant for assessing risk of SA and SI in MDE. Changes in depressive symptoms indicate concurrent changes in risk of SI. BPD status at intake can index risk for future SA, whereas depressive symptoms appear a useful continuously monitored risk index.     

Social cognitions,personality and chronic pain

The assumptions of cognitive social psychology provide a suitable analysis for the understanding of how chronic pain sufferers interpret information and make decisions about attendance for treatment. This approach pays particular attention to the social context in which the pain behaviour occurs. Studies of socio-cognitive aspects of pain are reviewed and the implications for future research are outlined.     

Engagement in adolescent career preparation: Social support, personality and the development of choice decidedness and congruence

This longitudinal panel study investigated predictors and outcomes of active engagement in career preparation among 349 Swiss adolescents from the beginning to the end of eighth grade. Latent variable structural equation modeling was applied. The results showed that engagement in terms of self- and environmental-exploration and active career planning related positively to interindividual increases in career decidedness and choice congruence. More perceived social support, early goal decidedness, and particular personality traits predicted more engagement. Support and personality impacted outcomes only mediated through engagement. Early decidedness and congruence were significant predictors of their respective later levels. Implications for practice are presented.     

Social support increases in the year after inpatient treatment of depression

High levels of social support are reported to protect against major depressive episode (MDE), but little is known about how social support changes during MDE. In this study, we measured total social support and four subtypes of social support in 75 psychiatric inpatients at the time of admission and one year later. The four subtypes of social support were tangible support, affectionate support, positive social interaction, and emotional/informational support. The majority of the sample were women (81%) with a mean age of 53.7+/-14.9 years. The severity of depressive symptoms improved over the year and was accompanied by a significant increase in two types of social support -- positive social interaction, and emotional/informational support. There was no significant change in tangible support or affectionate support. Linear regression showed that changes in all four subtypes were correlated with changes in depressive severity after adjustment for age, gender, and baseline clinical characteristics. While Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scores also improved throughout the period of observation, and while the change in IADL scores were significantly associated with changes in social support, change in IADL scores were no longer significantly associated with change in social support after adjustment for change in depression severity. These results suggest that supportive relationships improve after psychiatric hospitalization for MDE, and these changes are best explained by reduction in depression severity.     

Clinical differentiation between major depression only, major depression with panic disorder and panic disorder only. Childhood, personality and personality disorder

A consecutive sample of 298 nonpsychotic psychiatric outpatients was classified according to DSM-III and divided into 4 diagnostic groups: pure major depression, mixed major depression/panic disorder, pure panic disorder and a remaining group of other disorders. The patients' report of childhood relationship to parents and siblings, family atmosphere, their own personality characteristics as children and precipitating events were compared in the various groups. In addition, differences in personality and frequencies of personality disorders were investigated by means of various instruments. Our results show that the type of relationship to parents in childhood differed in the various groups. The mother seems to be the most crucial person for the development of depression, the father for the development of panic disorder. Patients with major depression are more obsessive and patients with panic disorder more infantile and avoidant with less control of their personality. Finally, patients with mixed conditions are more in accordance with the DSM-III anxious personality disorder cluster.