Are Dependency and Self-Criticism Risk Factors for Major Depressive Disorder?

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether dependent and self-critical personality traits are associated with specific types of life events and whether these traits change with pharmacotherapy. METHOD: Overall, 142 depressed outpatients completing 8 weeks of fluoxetine treatment were administered the Life Experiences Survey (LES) at baseline and the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) at baseline and endpoint. RESULTS: The DAS dependency subscale, but not the self-criticism subscale, showed significant correlations with life events regardless of congruency. Baseline HDRS scores were positively correlated with both DAS subscales and total score. The DAS subscales, the total DAS score, and the HDRS all improved significantly with treatment. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm a growing body of research that has found an association between sociotropic or dependent personality traits and life events.