Personality traits spectrum in panic disorder and major depression.
OBJECTIVE
Our aim was to identify the personality traits in patients with panics disorder, major depression and with both disorders (comorbidity).


METHODS
Diagnoses were made with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV before the treatment, and the personality evaluation with the Maudsley Personality Inventory was made during the follow-up. Four groups were analyzed: a control group (n = 30), a major depression without panic disorder group (n = 45); a panic disorder without major depression group (n = 56) and a comorbidity group (n = 21), with major depression and panic disorder, simultaneously.


RESULTS
All disorder groups had significantly higher neuroticism means when compared to the control group. The highest mean was in the comorbidity group, followed by the major depression group and the panic disorder group. The difference of neuroticism means between the comorbidity group and the panic disorder group also reached statistical significance. The lowest extraversion mean was in the comorbidity group, followed by the major depression group, the panic disorder group, and the control group. Compared to normal controls, extraversion was significantly low in the comorbidity and major depression groups.


CONCLUSIONS
In our sample, there was a continuum of personality traits between panic disorder and major depression and, the co-occurrence of these disorders was associated with accentuated personality traits.
Freire
Rafael C
RC
Laboratory of Panic and Respiration,, Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. rafaelcrfreire@terra.com.br
Lopes
Fabiana L
FL
Veras
André B
AB
Valença
Alexandre M
AM
Mezzasalma
Marco A
MA
Nascimento
Isabella
I
Nardi
Antonio E
AE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010551:Personality; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales