Five-factor personality traits in patients with seasonal depression: treatment effects and comparisons with bipolar patients

Background: Increasingly, the Five Factor Model (FFM) of personality is bei ng used to assess personality characteristics of patients with Axis I disor ders. Recent study indicates that patients with the seasonal subtype of maj or depression (SAD) may differ meaningfully from other depressed patients. In the present study, we further examined this finding, with attention to t he stability of personality characteristics across treatment. Methods: We u sed the NEO-FFM to assess the personality characteristics of two samples of depressed outpatients: patients with SAD and patients with bipolar disorde r. Assessment was repeated in the SAD patients after light therapy. Results : Consistent with previous research, we found elevated scores on the Openne ss domain in the SAD patients. SAD patients also scored significantly lower on Neuroticism and significantly higher on the Conscientiousness and Extro version domains than patients with bipolar disorder. Scores on the Openness domain remained elevated after treatment of SAD; this occurred in the cont ext of significant decreases in Neuroticism and increases in Extroversion s cores. Limitations: These results were obtained in a relatively small-sampl e study. Although our sample of bipolar patients were taking mood stabilize rs, it is unlikely that medication effects could explain our results. Concl usions: Our findings are consistent with those reported by Bagby et al. (Ma jor depression and the five-factor model of personality. J. Pers. Disord. 1 995;9:224-234) and suggests that Neuroticism and Extroversion are the FFM d omains most responsive to treatment for depression. Our results also sugges t that elevations on the Openness domain do not change with treatment and m ay be an enduring characteristic of patients with SAD. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sc ience B.V. All rights reserved.