Personality as a determinant of social functioning in depression

Ranjith, Gopinath; Farmer, Anne; McGuffin, Peter; Cleare, Anthony J.

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2004.10.008

« Previous Next »Journal of Affective Disorders
Volume 84, Issue 1 , Pages 73-76, January 2005

Personality as a determinant of social functioning in depression

Gopinath Ranjith
- Affective Disorders Unit, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Beckenham BR3 3BX, UK
Anne Farmer
- Affective Disorders Unit, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Beckenham BR3 3BX, UK
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London SE5 8AF, UK
Peter McGuffin
- Affective Disorders Unit, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Beckenham BR3 3BX, UK
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London SE5 8AF, UK
Anthony J. Cleare
- Affective Disorders Unit, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Beckenham BR3 3BX, UK
- Section of Neurobiology of Affective Disorders, Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Weston Education Centre, Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RJ, UK
- Corresponding author. Section of Neurobiology of Affective Disorders, Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Weston Education Centre, Cutcombe Road, London SE5 9RJ, UK. Tel.: +44 20 7848 5130; fax: +44 20 7848 5129.

Received 6 September 2004; received in revised form 26 October 2004; accepted 26 October 2004.

Abstract

Background

The Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale (SASS) is an instrument for measuring drive-based aspects of social functioning and has been used in trials of antidepressants. It has been suggested that social adaptation may be akin to a personality trait. We investigated the personality dimensions of neuroticism and extraversion as determinants of social functioning measured by SASS in patients with depression.

Methods

Patients seen at a tertiary mood disorders unit were assessed using SASS, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), Inventory of Depressive Symptoms-Self-Rated (IDS-SR) and Mood Disorders Questionnaire (MDQ).

Results

In a sample of 80 depressed outpatients, we found that extraversion made the largest unique contribution to social functioning followed by self-rated severity of depression. Neuroticism and other clinical and demographic variables were not significant predictors.

Conclusions

Social functioning as measured by SASS is predicted by extraversion and severity of depression. Personality traits should be taken into account when assessing social functioning in depression.

Keywords: Depression, Social functioning, Extraversion, Neuroticism