DEPRESSIVE PERSONALITY-CHARACTERISTICS - STATE-DEPENDENT CONCOMITANTSOF DEPRESSIVE DISORDER AND TRAITS INDEPENDENT OF CURRENT DEPRESSION

Depressive personality disorder (DPD) characteristics may reflect both state dependent concomitants and traits independent of current depres sion. In all, 30 clinically, 30 formerly, and 30 never depressed parti cipants were given the Diagnostic Interview for Depressive Personality (J. G. Gunderson, K. A. Phillips, J. Triebwasser, & R. M. A. Hirschfe ld, 1994). Negative reactivity, remorsefulness, a limited capacity for fun, gloominess, pessimism, difficulty being critical or angry unasse rtiveness, self-denial, and seriousness differentiated depressed and n ondepressed participants, indicating that they are primarily concomita nts of depression. Self-criticalness differentiated formerly from neve r depressed participants after subclinical symptoms were controlled, s uggesting that it is a trait independent of current depression. Low se lf-esteem, feeling burdened, and counterdependency manifested both sta te and trait components. If DPD is placed on Axis II, it should be def ined by traits at least partly independent of depression.