Yukiei Nakai1, Takeshi Inoue2, Hiroyuki Toda3, Atsuhito Toyomaki1, Yasuya Nakato1, Shin Nakagawa1, Yuji Kitaichi1, Rie Kameyama1, Yoshiyuki Hayashishita1, Yumi Wakatsuki1, Koji Oba4, Hajime Tanabe5, Ichiro Kusumi1. 1. Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan. 2. Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan. Electronic address: tinoue@med.hokudai.ac.jp. 3. Department of Psychiatry, National Defense Medical College, Namiki 3-2, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan. 4. Translation Research and Clinical Trial Center, Hokkaido University Hospital, North 14, West 5, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8648, Japan. 5. Department of Clinical Human Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown the interaction between heredity and childhood stress or life events on the pathogenesis of major depression. We hypothesized that childhood abuse, affective temperaments, and adult stressful life events interact and influence depressive symptoms in the general adult population and tested this hypothesis in this study. METHODS: The 294 participants from the nonclinical general adult population were studied using the following self-administered questionnaire surveys: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Life Experiences Survey (LES), Temperament Evaluation of the Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A), and Child Abuse and Trauma Scale (CATS). The data were analyzed with single and multiple regressions and structural equation modeling (Amos 20.0). RESULTS: Childhood abuse indirectly predicted the severity of the depressive symptoms through affective temperaments measured by TEMPS-A in the structural equation modeling. Four temperaments - depressive, cyclothymic, irritable, and anxious - directly predicted the severity of depressive symptoms and the negative appraisal of life events during the past year. The negative appraisal of life events during the past year mildly, but significantly, predicted the severity of depressive symptoms. LIMITATIONS: The subjects of this study were nonclinical. The findings might not be generalized to patients with mood disorders. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that childhood abuse, especially neglect, indirectly increased depressive symptoms through increased affective temperaments, which, in turn, increase the negative appraisal of stressful life events. An important role of affective temperaments in the effect of childhood abuse and stressful life events on depressive symptoms was suggested.
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown the interaction between heredity and childhood stress or life events on the pathogenesis of major depression. We hypothesized that childhood abuse, affective temperaments, and adult stressful life events interact and influence depressive symptoms in the general adult population and tested this hypothesis in this study. METHODS: The 294 participants from the nonclinical general adult population were studied using the following self-administered questionnaire surveys: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Life Experiences Survey (LES), Temperament Evaluation of the Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A), and Child Abuse and Trauma Scale (CATS). The data were analyzed with single and multiple regressions and structural equation modeling (Amos 20.0). RESULTS: Childhood abuse indirectly predicted the severity of the depressive symptoms through affective temperaments measured by TEMPS-A in the structural equation modeling. Four temperaments - depressive, cyclothymic, irritable, and anxious - directly predicted the severity of depressive symptoms and the negative appraisal of life events during the past year. The negative appraisal of life events during the past year mildly, but significantly, predicted the severity of depressive symptoms. LIMITATIONS: The subjects of this study were nonclinical. The findings might not be generalized to patients with mood disorders. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that childhood abuse, especially neglect, indirectly increased depressive symptoms through increased affective temperaments, which, in turn, increase the negative appraisal of stressful life events. An important role of affective temperaments in the effect of childhood abuse and stressful life events on depressive symptoms was suggested.
Authors: Nicola Veronese; Ai Koyanagi; Brendon Stubbs; Marco Solmi; Michele Fornaro; Brisa S Fernandes; Christoph Mueller; Trevor Thompson; André F Carvalho; Stefania Maggi Journal: Int J Geriatr Psychiatry Date: 2017-08-06 Impact factor: 3.485