Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment (Nov 2022)

Effect of Personality Traits on Sustained Remission Among Patients with Major Depression: A 12-Month Prospective Study

  • Nogami W,
  • Nakagawa A,
  • Katayama N,
  • Kudo Y,
  • Amano M,
  • Ihara S,
  • Kurata C,
  • Kobayashi Y,
  • Sasaki Y,
  • Ishikawa N,
  • Sato Y,
  • Mimura M

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 18
pp. 2771 – 2781

Abstract

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Waka Nogami,1 Atsuo Nakagawa,1,2 Nariko Katayama,1 Yuka Kudo,1,3,4 Mizuki Amano,1,5 Sakae Ihara,1 Chika Kurata,1 Yuki Kobayashi,1 Yohei Sasaki,1 Natsumi Ishikawa,1,6 Yasunori Sato,7 Masaru Mimura1 1Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; 2Department of Neuropsychiatry, St. Marianna University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan; 3Department of Psychiatry, Gunma Hospital, Gunma, Japan; 4Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK; 5Department of Psychiatry, Toyosato Hospital, Ibaraki, Japan; 6Department of Child Psychiatry, the University of Tokyo Hospital, Tokyo, Japan; 7Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, JapanCorrespondence: Atsuo Nakagawa, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinanomachi 35, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan, Tel +81-3-5363-3235, Fax +81-3-5363-3480, Email [email protected]: Major depression is a heterogeneous disorder. Therefore, careful evaluation and comprehensive assessment are crucial elements for achieving remission. Personality traits influence prognosis and treatment outcomes, but there is not enough evidence on the association between personality traits and sustained remission (SR). Hence, the present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between personality traits and SR among patients with major depression.Patients and Methods: The 12-month prospective study evaluated 77 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder. All patients underwent a comprehensive assessment, including the Temperament and Personality Questionnaire (T&P) at baseline, and depression severity was measured at baseline as well as six and 12 months. SR was defined as remission (the GRID-Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [GRID-HAMD17] score ≦ 7) at both the 6- and 12-month follow-up. We compared eight T&P construct scores at baseline between the SR and non-SR groups. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the T&P personality traits related to SR.Results: Patients who achieved SR had a lower T&P personal reserve and lower T&P rejection sensitivity. Further, lower scores on the T&P personal reserve trait were independently associated with higher rates of SR among patients with major depression. Patients who achieved SR had a shorter duration of the current depressive episode and milder severity of depression at baseline.Conclusion: A lower level of personal reserve predicted a higher probability of SR in the treatment of depression. Extended observations in naturalistic follow-up settings with larger sample sizes are required to better understand the personality traits affecting SR in patients with depression.Keywords: depression, personality traits, personal reserve, sustained remission, temperament and personality questionnaire

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