Key result
Higher baseline tension was significantly associated with an 85% increased risk of incident depression (HR 1.85) compared to low tension over a median follow-up of 10.1 years.
Why the study?
Do high levels of self-perceived competitiveness, tension, and dependency increase the risk of depression in university graduates?
Cohort (n=15,604)
Do high levels of self-perceived competitiveness, tension, and dependency increase the risk of depression in university graduates?
Hazard Ratio: 1.85 (95% CI 1.52–2.24)
p-value: p=<0.001
High levels of self-perceived tension and dependency are independently associated with an increased risk of future depression.
Tension and dependence were associated with higher depression risk in graduates; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change practice.
BACKGROUND: Emerging evidence suggests a possible etiologic role of certain personality traits (not necessary dysfunctional) in the risk of depression, but the longitudinal long-term available evidence is currently scarce. We longitudinally assessed whether 3 common personality traits (competitiveness, tension and dependency) were associated with the risk of depression after a maximum follow-up of 15 years. METHODS: We assessed 15,604 university graduates free of depression at baseline through a self-administered questionnaire including personality traits. Simple, Likert-type, questions with 11 possible answers ranging from 0 to 10 were used at baseline to assess the 3 personality traits. We compared participants with high scores (7-10) versus those with low scores (0-4). New medical diagnoses of depression during follow-up were used as the outcome. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 10.1 y, we prospectively identified 902 new medical diagnoses of depression. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for depression were 1.85 (1.52-2.24) for participants with higher baseline tension (7-10 versus 0 to 4), P-trend < 0.001; and 1.23 (1.06-1.44) for high versus low baseline dependence levels, P-trend = 0.004. Higher levels of competitiveness were marginally associated with lower risk of depression, with hazard ratio = 0.78 (0.61-1.01), P-trend = 0.105. CONCLUSION: A simple scoring system of personality traits shows an independent association with the future occurrence of depression. This finding underscores, with now prospective evidence, the importance of personality traits in the aetiology of depression and can provide a clinically useful tool for gathering valid information about depression-related personality traits.
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Lahortiga‐Ramos et al. (2018) conducted a cohort in Depression (n=15,604). High baseline tension vs. Low baseline tension was evaluated on New medical diagnoses of depression (HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.52-2.24, p=<0.001). Higher baseline tension was significantly associated with an 85% increased risk of incident depression (HR 1.85) compared to low tension over a median follow-up of 10.1 years.
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