The impact of personality traits on the return of major depression: a case–control study
BackgroundMajor depression is a common, chronic, recurrent, debilitating disorder. Despite effective treatments, remission rates remain low, and many of those who do experience remission then relapse. Some personality traits are potential risk factors for relapse, though they have, to date, received...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1454673/full |
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| author | Nada Altaweel Nada Altaweel Rachel Upthegrove Rachel Upthegrove Rachel Upthegrove Steven Marwaha Steven Marwaha Steven Marwaha |
| author_facet | Nada Altaweel Nada Altaweel Rachel Upthegrove Rachel Upthegrove Rachel Upthegrove Steven Marwaha Steven Marwaha Steven Marwaha |
| author_sort | Nada Altaweel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundMajor depression is a common, chronic, recurrent, debilitating disorder. Despite effective treatments, remission rates remain low, and many of those who do experience remission then relapse. Some personality traits are potential risk factors for relapse, though they have, to date, received insufficient attention. There is growing attention to the role of emotional dysregulation in recurrent depression. We aimed to investigate the association between the return of major depression and emotional dysregulation, affective lability, and impulsivity personality traits.MethodA case–control design sampling adults over 18 years old with a history of depression and currently either experiencing a depressive episode (cases) or currently being free of a depressive episode (controls). Current depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and study participants were recruited online. Multi-staged logistic regression modelling was used to explore the association between personality traits and the return of depression, adjusting for important confounding factors.ResultsOne hundred fifty two respondents (76 cases and 76 controls) were recruited. Emotional dysregulation was significantly associated with the return of depression (OR = 1.03, 95% CI [1.00–1.06], p = 0.04) even after adjustment for the confounding factors: marital status and childhood trauma. Childhood trauma (OR = 1.04, 95% CI [1.00–1.08], p = 0.03) and being widowed, divorced, or separated (OR = 13.95, 95% CI [1.16–166], p = 0.03) were also associated with the return of depression. Our analysis did not detect any association between affective lability and impulsivity and the return of depression.LimitationsOur study relied on self-report questionnaires, including measuring depression. We used cross-sectional data in the present study analysis.ConclusionOur findings suggest emotional dysregulation and childhood trauma could work as risk factors and predate depression. This information can be used to develop targeted treatment plans and improve therapeutic outcomes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e895ee9fac6d4dfebe952cadbcaaa854 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-e895ee9fac6d4dfebe952cadbcaaa8542025-08-20T02:49:59ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-03-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.14546731454673The impact of personality traits on the return of major depression: a case–control studyNada Altaweel0Nada Altaweel1Rachel Upthegrove2Rachel Upthegrove3Rachel Upthegrove4Steven Marwaha5Steven Marwaha6Steven Marwaha7Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomDepartment of Psychology, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaInstitute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomBirmingham Woman's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United KingdomDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United KingdomInstitute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United KingdomBirmingham Woman's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United KingdomSpecialist Mood Disorders Clinic, Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, United KingdomBackgroundMajor depression is a common, chronic, recurrent, debilitating disorder. Despite effective treatments, remission rates remain low, and many of those who do experience remission then relapse. Some personality traits are potential risk factors for relapse, though they have, to date, received insufficient attention. There is growing attention to the role of emotional dysregulation in recurrent depression. We aimed to investigate the association between the return of major depression and emotional dysregulation, affective lability, and impulsivity personality traits.MethodA case–control design sampling adults over 18 years old with a history of depression and currently either experiencing a depressive episode (cases) or currently being free of a depressive episode (controls). Current depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and study participants were recruited online. Multi-staged logistic regression modelling was used to explore the association between personality traits and the return of depression, adjusting for important confounding factors.ResultsOne hundred fifty two respondents (76 cases and 76 controls) were recruited. Emotional dysregulation was significantly associated with the return of depression (OR = 1.03, 95% CI [1.00–1.06], p = 0.04) even after adjustment for the confounding factors: marital status and childhood trauma. Childhood trauma (OR = 1.04, 95% CI [1.00–1.08], p = 0.03) and being widowed, divorced, or separated (OR = 13.95, 95% CI [1.16–166], p = 0.03) were also associated with the return of depression. Our analysis did not detect any association between affective lability and impulsivity and the return of depression.LimitationsOur study relied on self-report questionnaires, including measuring depression. We used cross-sectional data in the present study analysis.ConclusionOur findings suggest emotional dysregulation and childhood trauma could work as risk factors and predate depression. This information can be used to develop targeted treatment plans and improve therapeutic outcomes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1454673/fullpersonality traitsdepressionemotional dysregulationaffective labilityimpulsivity |
| spellingShingle | Nada Altaweel Nada Altaweel Rachel Upthegrove Rachel Upthegrove Rachel Upthegrove Steven Marwaha Steven Marwaha Steven Marwaha The impact of personality traits on the return of major depression: a case–control study Frontiers in Psychology personality traits depression emotional dysregulation affective lability impulsivity |
| title | The impact of personality traits on the return of major depression: a case–control study |
| title_full | The impact of personality traits on the return of major depression: a case–control study |
| title_fullStr | The impact of personality traits on the return of major depression: a case–control study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of personality traits on the return of major depression: a case–control study |
| title_short | The impact of personality traits on the return of major depression: a case–control study |
| title_sort | impact of personality traits on the return of major depression a case control study |
| topic | personality traits depression emotional dysregulation affective lability impulsivity |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1454673/full |
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