Personality styles in depression: Testing reliability and validity of hierarchically organized constructs

• Validity and reliability of a bottom up approach for personality styles were extended.
• At least three independent higher-order personality factors were found.
• Perfectionism was an independent and protective personality style.
• The hierarchically organized structure of the T&P was partially supported.

The Temperament and Personality Questionnaire (T&P) is a flexible tool for assessing personality styles in depression. To investigate its reliability and validity, a sample of 399 depressed outpatients was investigated. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was performed to test seven hierarchically organized models. The validity of the hierarchical structure was assessed using correlations among the observed factor scores for each model. External validation was performed using structural equation models for quality of life (QOL) and severity of depression (DEP). Internal consistency was high for all of seven models. CFA indicated proper goodness fit for models from two to four factors. Correlations among factors from all models overall gave support to the hierarchically organized structure, except for perfectionism not being encompassed by the construct of introversion. Associations among T&P factors and both QOL and DEP showed the expected relationships, with resilient personality styles decreasing quality of life and increasing state depression levels, while disordered personality styles showed the converse associations. The T&P showed high reliability and construct validity for Brazilian depressive patients, replicating and extending the results from original studies. The T&P is a flexible instrument assessing personality in depressive patients and might help to further disentangle its vast heterogeneity.