Personality changes in adult subjects with major depressive disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder treated with paroxetine

Background: Human and animal studies point to 3 dimensions of personality t hat change during pharmacotherapy with a selective serotonin reuptake inhib itor (SSRI). Specifically, harm avoidance has been found to decrease, socia l dominance has been found to increase, and hostility in social situations has been found to decrease with SSRI treatment. We sought to determine pers onality changes in subjects with either major depressive disorder (MDD) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) treated with paroxetine. We also sought to determine whether or not these personality changes were associated with disease state (MDD vs. OCD) or treatment response (responders vs. nonrespo nders). Method: Thirty-seven subjects diagnosed with either MDD or OCD (according t o DSM-IV criteria) completed the Cattell 16 Personality Factor Inventory (1 6-PF) before and after treatment with paroxetine. Treatment response was de fined as a Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement rating of "much" or "ver y much" improved and a drop in Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression score o f at least 50% for MDD or Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale score of at least 30% for OCD. Results: No significant differences were found between subjects with MDD an d OCD in personality change with treatment. In the whole group, treatment r esponders had a greater decrease than nonresponders in 16-PF factors relati ng to harm avoidance. An increase in social dominance factors and a decreas e in factors relating to hostility in social situations were found, but the se changes were not significantly different between responders and nonrespo nders. Conclusion: These findings indicate that certain personality dimensions cha nge with SSRI treatment and that some of these changes are independent of c linical treatment response.