The relationship of dysfunctional attitudes to personality in depressed patients

Aim: To examine the relationship between dysfunctional attitudes and person ality in depressed patients. Method: One hundred depressed patients complet ed both the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS) and the Temperament and Cha racter Inventory (TCI). Results: Scores on the DAS correlated with duration of depression, age of onset of depression, age, harm avoidance and self-di rectedness. In a multiple regression analysis three measures explained 45% of the DAS score. These were duration of depression, reward dependence and self-directedness. In both the univariate analyses and multiple regression the strongest predictor of dysfunctional attitudes was the character dimens ion of self-directedness. Conclusion: The character dimension of self-direc tedness in the TCI which assesses an individuals' self-concept, relates hig hly with the dysfunctional attitudes score on the DAS. Given that the TCI a ssesses personality within a broader framework of a psychobiologic and deve lopmental model, self-directedness may have a wider application as a measur e of self-concept than the DAS. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r eserved.