title: A personality-based latent class typology of outpatients with major depressive disorder: association with symptomatology, prescription pattern and social function.
abstract: While major depressive disorder (MDD) is considered to be a heterogeneous disorder, the nature of the heterogeneity remains unclear. Studies have attempted to classify patients with MDD using latent variable techniques, yet the empirical approaches to symptom-based subtyping of MDD have not provided conclusive evidence. Here we aimed to identify homogeneous classes of MDD based on personality traits, using a latent profile analysis.
  
  
  
  We studied 238 outpatients with DSM-IV MDD recruited from our specialized depression outpatient clinic and assessed their dimensional personality traits with the Temperament and Character Inventory. Latent profile analysis was conducted with 7 dimensions of the Temperament and Character Inventory as indicators. Relationships of the identified classes with symptomatology, prescription pattern, and social function were then examined.
  
  
  
  The latent profile analysis indicated that a 3-class solution best fit the data. Of the sample, 46.2% was classified into a "neurotic" group characterized by high harm avoidance and low self-directedness; 30.3% into an "adaptive" group characterized by high self-directedness and cooperativeness; and 23.5% into a "socially-detached" group characterized by low reward dependence and cooperativeness and high self-transcendence. The 2 maladaptive groups, namely neurotic and socially-detached groups, demonstrated unique patterns of symptom expression, different classes of psychotropic medication use, and lower social functioning.
  
  
  
  Generalizability of the findings was limited since our patients were recruited from the specialized depression outpatient clinic.
  
  
  
  Our personality-based latent profile analysis identified clinically meaningful 3 MDD groups that were markedly different in their personality profiles associated with distinct symptomatology and functioning.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan; Department of Adult Mental Health, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: hori@ncnp.go.jp.
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Teraishi
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagashima
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Norie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hattori
authors.affiliation: Department of Adult Mental Health, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Teruhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Disorder Research, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kunugi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D040261:Harm Reduction; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: Depression; Heterogeneity; Latent profile analysis; Personality; Social function; Symptomatology