Am J Psychiatry 1996; 153:1404-1410
Copyright © 1996 by American Psychiatric Association
Does major depression result in lasting personality change?
MT Shea, AC Leon, TI Mueller, DA Solomon, MG Warshaw and MB Keller
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, RI 02906, USA.
OBJECTIVE: Individuals with a history of depression are characterized by
high levels of certain personality traits, particularly neuroticism,
introversion, and interpersonal dependency. The authors examined the "scar
hypothesis," i.e., the possibility that episodes of major depression result
in lasting personality changes that persist beyond recovery from the
depression. METHOD: A large sample of first-degree relatives, spouses, and
comparison subjects ascertained in connection with the proband sample from
the National Institute of Mental Health Collaborative Program on the
Psychobiology of Depression were assessed at two points in time separated
by an interval of 6 years. Subjects with a prospectively observed first
episode of major depression during the interval were compared with subjects
remaining well in terms of change from time 1 to time 2 in self-reported
personality traits. All subjects studied were well (had no mental
disorders) at the time of both assessments. RESULTS: There was no evidence
of negative change from premorbid to postmorbid assessment in any of the
personality traits for subjects with a prospectively observed first episode
of major depression during the interval. The results suggested a possible
association of number and length of episodes with increased levels of
emotional reliance and introversion, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The
findings suggest that self-reported personality traits do not change after
a typical episode of major depression. Future studies are needed to
determine whether such change occurs following more severe, chronic, or
recurrent episodes of depression.
