Temperament and major depression: How does difficult temperament affect frequency, severity, and duration of major depressive episodes among offspring of parents with or without depression?

- We assessed the relationship between parental MDD, offspring MDD, and temperament.
- 203 offspring of depressed or non-depressed parents were followed over 20-years.
- Greater rhythmicity and adaptability predicted fewer lifetime MDEs.
- Greater inattention/distractibility predicted shorter duration MDEs.
- Differences in clinical presentation of MDD reflect distinct temperamental profiles.

IntroductionThe current study examined the relationships between parental depression, offspring depression, and offspring temperament among 203 offspring of parents with or without depression. The specific aim was to investigate how parental depression and offspring difficult temperament affect frequency, severity, and duration of offspring major depressive episodes (MDEs).MethodsAs part of an ongoing multigenerational study assessing familial transmission of depression, offspring were assessed over a 20-year study period. Offspring temperament was assessed at baseline using the Dimensions of Temperament Survey and diagnostic interviews were conducted at each of the four waves using best estimate procedures.ResultsDifficult temperament predicted greater frequency of lifetime MDEs. Parental depression moderated the relationship between offspring difficult temperament and severity of MDEs, such that difficult temperament was associated with increased severity ratings among high-risk, but not low-risk offspring. Dimensional analysis revealed that lower rhythmicity and adaptability were associated with greater number of lifetime MDEs, higher inattention/distractibility was associated with shorter duration of MDEs, and greater activity was associated with decreased severity of MDEs.DiscussionCertain limitations must be noted, namely the self-report nature of temperament data and the relatively small sample size drawn from a clinical and predominantly Caucasian and Christian sample. Notwithstanding these limitations, our results suggest that the clinical presentation of major depression may reflect temperamental profiles and should be considered in diagnostic and treatment settings.