title: Personality and social support as predictors of first and recurrent episodes of depression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Depression is a prevalent psychiatric disorder with high personal and public health consequences, partly due to a high risk of recurrence. This longitudinal study examines personality traits, structural and subjective social support dimensions as predictors of first and recurrent episodes of depression in initially non-depressed subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA). 1085 respondents without a current depression or anxiety diagnosis were included. 437 respondents had a prior history of depression, 648 did not. Personality dimensions were measured with the NEO-FFI, network size, partner-status, negative and positive emotional support were measured with the Close Person Questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses (unadjusted and adjusted for clinical variables and sociodemographic variables) examined whether these psychosocial variables predict a new episode of depression at two year follow up and whether this differed among persons with or without a history of depression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the unadjusted analyses high extraversion (OR:.93, 95% CI (.91-.96), P<.001), agreeableness (OR:.94, 95% CI (.90-.97), P<.001), conscientiousness (OR:.93, 95% CI (.90-.96), P<.001) and a larger network size (OR:.76, 95% CI (.64-.90), P=.001) significantly reduced the risk of a new episode of depression. Only neuroticism predicted a new episode of depression in both the unadjusted (OR:1.13, 95% CI (1.10-1.15), P<.001) and adjusted analyses (OR:1.06, 95% CI (1.03-1.10), P<.001). None of the predictors predicted first or recurrent episodes of depression differently.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  we used a relatively short follow up period and broad personality dimensions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neuroticism seems to predict both first and recurrent episodes of depression and may be suitable for screening for preventive interventions.
authors.affiliation: GGZinGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: a.noteboom@ggzingeest.nl.
authors.forename: Annemieke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Noteboom
authors.affiliation: GGZinGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Aartjan T F
authors.initials: ATF
authors.lastname: Beekman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vogelzangs
authors.affiliation: GGZinGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Brenda W J H
authors.initials: BWJH
authors.lastname: Penninx
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D000075384:Neuroticism; D010551:Personality; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012944:Social Support
keywords: Depression; Personality; Social support