Progressing a spectrum model for defining non-melancholic depression.
OBJECTIVE
To further develop a 'spectrum model' for non-melancholic disorders that encompasses underlying personality styles and clinical patterning.


METHODS
In a sample of patients with non-melancholic depression, we studied four personality constructs influencing risk to depression, assessing associational strength and specificity between personality scores and symptom and coping response patterns.


RESULTS
Analyses refined four personality dimensions (anxious worrying, irritability, social inhibition, and self-centredness) for testing the model. For all dimensions, personality style was specifically linked with a mirroring 'coping' response. Quantification of specific links allowed development of a spectrum model for the non-melancholic depressive disorders in which underpinning personality style showed some specific links with the clinical 'pattern' of symptoms and coping repertoires.


CONCLUSIONS
The model has the capacity to assist clinical assessment, identify aetiological personality influences and allow specific treatment effects for the heterogeneous non-melancholic depressive disorders to be determined.
Parker
G
G
School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, and Mood Disorders Unit, Black Dog Institute, Sydney, Australia. g.parker@unsw.edu.au
Malhi
G
G
Mitchell
P
P
Wilhelm
K
K
Austin
M-P
MP
Crawford
J
J
Hadzi-Pavlovic
D
D
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality; D011584:Psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires