BACKGROUND: The relationship between adversity and genetic risk factors in depression could be mediated by familial 'hazard prone' traits, as reflected in high levels of sensation-seeking. AIMS: To examine whether high sensation-seeking scores are associated with more adverse life events resulting in depression. METHOD: In a sib-pair design, 108 probands with depression and their siblings and 105 healthy control subjects and their siblings were compared for psychopathology, life events and scores on the Sensation-Seeking Questionnaire (SSQ). RESULTS: The SSQ scores were correlated negatively with depression, were familial and were correlated positively with less severe events, but not the severe events typically associated with depressive onsets. CONCLUSIONS: The SSQ measures a familial personality trait and depression is associated with lower scores. Although high sensation-seeking is associated with a higher rate of life events, these carry little threat.
BACKGROUND: The relationship between adversity and genetic risk factors in depression could be mediated by familial 'hazard prone' traits, as reflected in high levels of sensation-seeking. AIMS: To examine whether high sensation-seeking scores are associated with more adverse life events resulting in depression. METHOD: In a sib-pair design, 108 probands with depression and their siblings and 105 healthy control subjects and their siblings were compared for psychopathology, life events and scores on the Sensation-Seeking Questionnaire (SSQ). RESULTS: The SSQ scores were correlated negatively with depression, were familial and were correlated positively with less severe events, but not the severe events typically associated with depressive onsets. CONCLUSIONS: The SSQ measures a familial personality trait and depression is associated with lower scores. Although high sensation-seeking is associated with a higher rate of life events, these carry little threat.
Authors: A H Evans; A D Lawrence; J Potts; L MacGregor; R Katzenschlager; K Shaw; J Zijlmans; A J Lees Journal: J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry Date: 2006-03 Impact factor: 10.154