The association of major depressive episode and personality traits in patients with fibromyalgia

• Published in: Clinics (São Paulo, Brazil) Vol. 66; no. 6; pp. 973 - 978
• Main Authors: de Melo Santos, Danyella, Lage, Laís Verderame, Jabur, Eleonora Kehl, Kaziyama, Helena Hideko Seguchi, Iosifescu, Dan V, de Lucia, Mara Cristina Souza, Fráguas, Renério
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Portuguese
• Published: Brazil Elsevier España, S.L.U 01.01.2011; Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo; Faculdade de Medicina / USP; Elsevier España
• Subjects: Adult; Character; Clinical Science; Depression; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - psychology; Depressive Disorder, Major - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder, Major - psychology; Female; Fibromyalgia; Fibromyalgia - psychology; Humans; MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL; Middle Aged; Pain Measurement; Personality; Personality Inventory; Severity of Illness Index; Socioeconomic Factors; Statistics, Nonparametric; Surveys and Questionnaires; Temperament; Fibromyalgia; Depression; Personality; Character; Temperament
• ISSN: 1807-5932; 1980-5322; 1980-5322
• DOI: 10.1590/S1807-59322011000600009

Personality traits have been associated with primary depression. However, it is not known whether this association takes place in the case of depression comorbid with fibromyalgia. The authors investigated the association between a current major depressive episode and temperament traits (e.g., harm avoidance). A sample of 69 adult female patients with fibromyalgia was assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory. Psychiatric diagnoses were assessed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview severity of depressive symptomatology with the Beck Depression Inventory, and anxiety symptomatology with the IDATE-state and pain intensity with a visual analog scale. A current major depressive episode was diagnosed in 28 (40.5%) of the patients. They presented higher levels of harm avoidance and lower levels of cooperativeness and self-directedness compared with non-depressed patients, which is consistent with the Temperament and Character Inventory profile of subjects with primary depression. However, in contrast to previous results in primary depression, no association between a major depressive episode and self-transcendence was found. The results highlight specific features of depression in fibromyalgia subjects and may prove important for enhancing the diagnosis and prognosis of depression in fibromyalgia patients.