Temperament traits in seasonal affective disorder, suicide attempters with non-seasonal major depression and healthy controls.

BACKGROUND

Very few studies have compared the temperament traits in matched suicidal and non-suicidal patients with major depression.

METHODS

We compared the temperament traits in two matched groups of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), MDD with seasonal subtype (SAD) without any suicide attempt (n = 23) and MDD without seasonal variation who attempted suicide (non-SAD SA), and compared the patients to matched healthy controls by using the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP) and the Marke-Nyman Temperament (MNT) questionnaires.

RESULTS

Both the SAD and non-SAD SA groups showed significantly higher Somatic Anxiety, Muscular Tension, Psychasthenia, Irritability, Suspicion, and lower Socialization and Validity than the controls. The non-SAD SA group also showed significantly higher Psychic Anxiety, Detachment and Guilt as compared to controls. When the SAD and the non-SAD SA were compared, we found significantly higher Somatic Anxiety, Psychic Anxiety and Muscular Tension for the non-SAD SA group.

CONCLUSIONS

Both SAD and non-SAD SA patients display different temperament profiles compared to controls and in comparison with each other and the suicide attempters show especially high trait anxiety and hostility.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The results suggest that trait anxiety and hostility, but not impulsivity, are associated with suicidal behavior in major depression.