EPA-1139 – Influence of Personality Traits on Depression Severity in Adolescents

Abstract

Introduction:

Recognizing the link between depression and personality traits in adolescents can alleviate identification of individual triggers for developing and diagnosing depression, treatment approach and plan as well as at-risk individuals for suicide ideation. Current studies suggest that depression is linked to several personality traits according to psychobiological model such as: harm avodiance, novelty seeking and self-directedness. Also, personality traits appear to contribute to the onest and course/severity ofdepression. Often, this is more pronounced if there are adverse social factors affectingthe overall family functioning of particular adolescent.

Material and Methods:

Our study was conducted on the Clinical Department for Children and Adolescents during 6-month period. We included both female and male adolescentes (15 years and older) entering the psychatric treatment and diagnosed as depressive disorder according to criteria of ICD-10. Personality traits (temperament and character)were assesed with, Temperament and Character Inventory-revised’ (TCI, Cloninger) and depressive symptoms with, Beck Depression Inventory’ (BDI). The social factors were identified through the region-specific questionnaire.

Conclusion:

Our study has shown that severity of depression correlates with specific temperament and character traits according to psychobiological model but also how adverse social factors have significant impact on presentation of depressive symptoms. It might be possible that such negative social enviroment could impact the development of specific personality traits which predispose individual for development of depression