Personality traits and the reporting of affective disorder symptoms in depressed patients.
BACKGROUND
A deeper understanding of the influences on self-reported mood symptoms could inform the debate about the utility of self-report instruments and enhance the assessment and treatment of affective disorders. We tested the hypotheses that higher Neuroticism is associated with the over-reporting of affective symptoms and lower Openness to Experience is associated with the under-reporting of affective symptoms.


METHODS
Subjects were 134 inpatients of ages 50 and over diagnosed with a mood disorder. Personality was assessed with the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. Self-reported depression was assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory-II; observer-rated depression was assessed via the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Symptom-reporting was defined as the ratio of self-reported to observer-rated symptoms.


RESULTS
As hypothesized, multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that high Neuroticism contributed to patients' over-reporting of mood symptoms. Contrary to the hypothesis, low Openness was associated with high ratios of self-reported to observer-rated mood symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Cross-sectional design and unclear generalizability to racial/ethnic minorities.


CONCLUSIONS
Traits are important correlaters of self-reported vs. observer-rated symptoms in patients with affective disorders. To the extent that economic imperatives and other pressures impel greater reliance on self-report data in mental health research and services, there will be a corresponding need for prospective research on the determinants and clinical implications of discrepancies between self-reports and observer ratings.
Duberstein
Paul R
PR
Laboratory of Personality and Development, Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Boulevard, Rochester, NY 14642, USA. Paul_Duberstein@urmc.rochester.edu
Heisel
Marnin J
MJ
D000368:Aged; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002605:Character; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D010343:Patient Admission; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012803:Sick Role