INTRODUCTION: We investigated the relationship between depressive illness and personality traits from the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) using data from a family study. METHODS: The first-degree relatives of a series of 89 probands with RDC major depression (MD) were subdivided by their lifetime RDC diagnosis into: (1) relatives recovered from MD (n = 34); (2) never-ill relatives (n = 45). The neuroticism (N) and extraversion (E) scores of these two groups were compared using a multilevel linear model, allowing for potential confounders. The relationship between age of onset and recurrence of MD and N scores in group 1 was also examined. RESULTS: (1) Raised N scores were associated with a past history of major depression. (2) There was no such relationship for E scores. (3) Current depressive symptoms were also associated with an increased N score but this did not explain the relationship between previous major depression and N scores. (4) Recurrent episodes of major depression in the recovered MD relatives were significantly associated with increased N scores. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that raised N may be a vulnerability marker for major depression.
INTRODUCTION: We investigated the relationship between depressive illness and personality traits from the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) using data from a family study. METHODS: The first-degree relatives of a series of 89 probands with RDC major depression (MD) were subdivided by their lifetime RDC diagnosis into: (1) relatives recovered from MD (n = 34); (2) never-ill relatives (n = 45). The neuroticism (N) and extraversion (E) scores of these two groups were compared using a multilevel linear model, allowing for potential confounders. The relationship between age of onset and recurrence of MD and N scores in group 1 was also examined. RESULTS: (1) Raised N scores were associated with a past history of major depression. (2) There was no such relationship for E scores. (3) Current depressive symptoms were also associated with an increased N score but this did not explain the relationship between previous major depression and N scores. (4) Recurrent episodes of major depression in the recovered MD relatives were significantly associated with increased N scores. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that raised N may be a vulnerability marker for major depression.
Authors: Jan Fullerton; Matthew Cubin; Hemant Tiwari; Chenxi Wang; Amarjit Bomhra; Stuart Davidson; Sue Miller; Christopher Fairburn; Guy Goodwin; Michael C Neale; Simon Fiddy; Richard Mott; David B Allison; Jonathan Flint Journal: Am J Hum Genet Date: 2003-02-20 Impact factor: 11.025
Authors: Huiping Zhang; Fatih Ozbay; Jaakko Lappalainen; Henry R Kranzler; Christopher H van Dyck; Dennis S Charney; Lawrence H Price; Steven Southwick; Bao-Zhu Yang; Ann Rasmussen; Joel Gelernter Journal: Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet Date: 2006-06-05 Impact factor: 3.568
Authors: Maria A Oquendo; Jason Turret; Michael F Grunebaum; Ainsley K Burke; Ernest Poh; Ellen Stevenson; J John Mann; Hanga Galfalvy Journal: J Affect Disord Date: 2013-06-02 Impact factor: 4.839
Authors: Peter Holmans; George S Zubenko; Raymond R Crowe; J Raymond DePaulo; William A Scheftner; Myrna M Weissman; Wendy N Zubenko; Sandra Boutelle; Kathleen Murphy-Eberenz; Dean MacKinnon; Melvin G McInnis; Diana H Marta; Philip Adams; James A Knowles; Madeleine Gladis; Jo Thomas; Jennifer Chellis; Erin Miller; Douglas F Levinson Journal: Am J Hum Genet Date: 2004-04-22 Impact factor: 11.025