TEMPERAMENT AND HYPERCORTISOLEMIA IN DEPRESSION

Objective: The authors examined the relationships among depression sev erity, melancholia, and cortisol level and the relationship between te mperament, as measured with the Tridimensional Personality Questionnai re, and cortisol level. Method: Morning and afternoon cortisol levels of 40 healthy comparison subjects and 96 patients with major depressio n were measured The depressed patients were rated for depression sever ity and melancholia, and they completed the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire. Results: Temperament, especially dependence and extrav agance, but not depressive symptoms, was the major determinant of the hypercortisolemia observed in the depressed patients. Conclusions: For research in biological psychiatry to advance, more attention needs to be paid to the individual differences in biology that underlie any st ate-dependent biologic dysfunction.