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Relationship between personality and psychopathology in a longitudinal community study: a test of the predisposition model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 March 2016

M. P. Hengartner ,
V. Ajdacic-Gross ,
C. Wyss ,
J. Angst  and
W. Rössler
M. P. Hengartner*
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Psychology, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland
V. Ajdacic-Gross
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
C. Wyss
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
J. Angst
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
W. Rössler
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland Institute of Psychiatry, Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM 27), University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
*
*Address for correspondence: M. P. Hengartner, Ph.D., Department of Applied Psychology, Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), PO Box 707, CH-8037 Zurich, Switzerland. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

Mounting evidence supports the notion that personality is crucial in the aetiopathology of common mental disorders, but studies that allow for aetiological conclusions are lacking. The aim of the present study was thus to provide a test of the predisposition model.

Method

We analysed data from the Zurich Cohort Study, a 30-year longitudinal epidemiological community study of an adult cohort (n = 591) from 1979 to 2008. Personality was assessed in 1988 with an established personality questionnaire, and psychopathology through seven semi-structured interviews between 1979 and 2008.

Results

On the basis of personality assessment from 1988, used as predictor of subsequent psychopathology (1993–2008), while adjusting for sex and prior mental disorders (1979–1988), neuroticism related significantly with future major depression episodes [odds ratio (OR) = 1.41], anxiety disorders (OR = 1.32) and depression treatment use (OR = 1.41). When participants with a past 10-year history (i.e. 1979–1988) of either major depression, anxiety disorder or depression treatment use were excluded, neuroticism in 1988 still significantly predicted first incidence (i.e. 1993–2008) of major depression episodes (OR = 1.53) and depression treatment use (OR = 1.84).

Conclusions

The present study provides compelling evidence that the personality trait of neuroticism constitutes an independent risk factor for subsequent major depression episodes and use of respective professional treatments, which serves as a proxy for particularly severe and impairing depression episodes. We therefore advocate that personality traits could provide clinically useful prognostic information when considered carefully.

Keywords

Aetiopathologyepidemiologyneuroticismpersonalitypsychopathology
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 46 , Issue 8 , June 2016 , pp. 1693 - 1705
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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