Personality differences between patients with remitted melancholic and nonmelancholic depression

Article Abstract:

Depression is not a single, homogeneous disorder but instead has a variety of subtypes which may involve different causes and patterns of symptoms. Personality factors which predispose an individual to depression may differ for the subtypes of depression. In particular, it has been proposed that personality differences can be influential in the development of melancholic versus nonmelancholic depression. Melancholic depression is considered by some to have a genetic or biochemical basis, with no predisposing personality factors being associated with the condition. A wider variety of definitions has been applied to nonmelancholic depression (depression resulting from stressful events in a person's life), and personality characteristics have been associated with this type, in contrast to the melancholic type. Although numerous evaluations have been undertaken to clarify the personality traits associated with depression, the currently available methodology is limited. In an attempt to clarify the personality factors associated with one or the other type of depression, 75 patients were classified using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition. The subjects had melancholic or nonmelancholic depression, but all patients were considered to be in remission. Four scales were used: the Eysenck Personality Inventory, the Interpersonal Dependency Inventory, locus of control, and the Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure. Three underlying personality constructs were isolated: dependency, introversion, and timidity. Differences in personality style were found between the two groups, but specific attributes which put an individual at risk for either type of depressive disorder were not found. The subjects with nonmelancholic depression were considered to have more vulnerable personality styles than the melancholic subjects; they were also significantly more dependent than the melancholic group. However, the differences which were identified varied with the scale that was used. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Testing, Identification and classification

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Depression through the first year after the death of a spouse

Article Abstract:

The relationship of stress to major depressive disorders remains unclear, but severe stressors have been associated with the onset of multiple psychiatric symptoms including depression. The death of a spouse is a severe stressor, and it may be useful to study the relationship between the death of a spouse and depression. Widows and widowers were contacted and interviewed two months after the death of their spouse. Subjects were interviewed using the Widowhood Questionnaire, and were interviewed again at 7 and at 13 months after the death. In all, 350 subjects completed the initial interview, 24 percent of whom met the criteria for a depressive episode. At seven months, 23 percent of the remaining 308 subjects were diagnosed as depressed, and at 13 months, 16 percent of the 286 subjects completing the study were depressed. In a comparison group of 126 subjects, the rate of depression was remained steady at 4 percent. Subjects most likely to be depressed 13 months after the death of their spouse were younger than nondepressed subjects, had past histories of depression, were depressed at initial and seven-month interviews, and were still grieving at the time of the initial interview. Given the common incidence of depression after the death of a spouse, it is recommended that clinicians be more sensitive to the factors that may predispose one to depression. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Psychological aspects, Causes of, Grief, Bereavement, Widowhood

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Clinical predictors of recurrence in depression

Article Abstract:

Depression characteristically takes an episodic course, and many factors may influence recurrence. Three factors which are evaluated here include early onset of depression; life-time prevalence of affective (mood) disorders other than major depression; and a history of depressive episodes. Thirty successfully treated depressed patients were evaluated at monthly intervals for up to 36 months. Six patients had an early onset of depression (before age 20), and the rest had onsets before age 40. Twenty-three patients had at least two episodes of depression and 14 had experienced three or more. Twenty patients had at least one family member with depression, and nine subjects also reported having another affective disorder. During the follow-up period, 17 of the patients developed another episode of depression. Patients with early onset of depression had a significantly greater likelihood of recurrence. Those with a history of another affective disorder were also at significantly higher risk of recurrence. The number of depressive episodes was not predictive of recurrence in this study. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Prognosis

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