Temperament characteristics, as assessed by the tridimensional personality questionnaire, moderate the response to sertraline in depressed opiate-dependent methadone patients

During a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study of the effects of sertraline in depressed methadone-maintained patients, 82 completed the tridimensional personality questionnaire (TPQ) to assess whether temperament dimensions can affect treatment-related changes in mood and drug use. Mood outcome significantly differed according to scores on the reward dependence scale (RD). Low RD participants displayed a significantly better mood response to sertraline than high RD participants. Participants with high harm avoidance (HA) scores were more likely to be abstinent at the end of the 12 week trial of sertraline than low HA participants. High persistence (P) participants were less likely to be abstinent at the end of the 12-week trial. These results suggest that temperament dimensions may be important for identifying substance dependent patients more likely to benefit from pharmacological interventions for comorbid depressive disorders.