The moderator effects of affective temperaments, childhood abuse and adult stressful life events on depressive symptoms in the nonclinical general adult population.
BACKGROUND
We recently demonstrated in the structural equation modeling that four of five affective temperaments, as measured by the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego auto-questionnaire version (TEMPS-A), are strong mediators between childhood abuse and depressive symptoms in the nonclinical general adult population. In this study, we hypothesized that affective temperaments, childhood abuse, and adult life events have moderator effects that interact with one another on depressive symptoms. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to analyze this interaction model.


METHODS
The 286 participants from the nonclinical general adult population were studied using the following self-administered questionnaire surveys: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Life Experiences Survey (LES), TEMPS-A, and Child Abuse and Trauma Scale (CATS). The data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple regressions with interactions.


RESULTS
Depressive temperament enhanced and hyperthymic temperament inhibited the depressogenic effects of childhood abuse, while irritable temperament enhanced and hyperthymic temperament inhibited the depressogenic effects of adult negative (stressful) life events. Adult positive life events had an inhibitory moderator effect on depressive symptoms that was increased by cyclothymic and anxious temperaments. Neglect, punishment, and total childhood abuse enhanced the effects of negative life events on depressive symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
As the subjects of this study were nonclinical, the findings should not be generalized to patients with mood disorders. In this cross-sectional study, there may be interdependence between the measured variables.


CONCLUSIONS
This study, using the hierarchical multiple regression analysis with interaction, demonstrated the positive and negative interactions between any two of affective temperaments, childhood abuse, and adult life events, and the influence on depressive symptoms in the nonclinical general adult population. Important moderator roles for affective temperaments, childhood abuse, and adult life events on depressive symptoms were suggested.
Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
Yukiei
Y
Nakai
Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023, Japan. Electronic address: tinoue@tokyo-med.ac.jp.
Takeshi
T
Inoue
Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
Chong
C
Chen
Department of Psychiatry, National Defense Medical College, Namiki 3-2, Tokorozawa, Saitama 359-8513, Japan.
Hiroyuki
H
Toda
Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
Atsuhito
A
Toyomaki
Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
Yasuya
Y
Nakato
Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
Shin
S
Nakagawa
Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
Yuji
Y
Kitaichi
Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
Rie
R
Kameyama
Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
Yumi
Y
Wakatsuki
Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
Kan
K
Kitagawa
Department of Clinical Human Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8529, Japan.
Hajime
H
Tanabe
Department of Psychiatry, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, North 15, West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan.
Ichiro
I
Kusumi
D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012044:Regression Analysis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013694:Temperament
Adult life events; Affective temperaments; Childhood abuse; Depression; Moderator; TEMPS-A