Effects of Temperament and Character Profiles on State and Trait Depression and Anxiety: A Prospective Study of a Japanese Youth Population

Xi Lu,Zi Chen,Masayo Uji,Toshinori Kitamura,Toshiaki Nagata,Wataru Miyazaki,Xiaoyi Cui,Takahiko Katoh,Masako Oda

doi:10.1155/2012/604684

Abstract

Objective. To examine the effects of temperament and character profiles on state and trait depression and anxiety in a Japanese youth population. Method. Japanese university students were solicited for participation in a two-wave study, with assessments performed at Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2), separated by a five-month interval. A total of 184 students completed the Japanese version of the temperament and character inventory (TCI) at T1 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at T1 and T2. We posited two latent variables, trait depression and anxiety, composed of the T1 and T2 HADS depression and anxiety scores, respectively. We also posited that temperament domain traits would predict character domain traits, and that all the personality traits would be linked to trait depression and anxiety and also predict T2 depression and anxiety. Results. Structural regression modeling showed that (1) only high Novelty Seeking predicted T2 Anxiety score, (2) trait depression and anxiety were linked to high harm avoidance and low self-directedness, and (3) trait depression was linked to high self-transcendence whereas trait anxiety was linked to low reward dependence, persistence, and cooperativeness. Conclusion. The characteristic associations between TCI subscales and depression and anxiety were limited to the trait rather than state aspects of depression and anxiety.

Highlights

We considered that the mood experienced by an individual at a given point in time could be statistically divided into the enduring trait component and the temporally changeable surplus component
There were no differences between the students who responded at two occasions (N = 184) and who responded only at Time 1 (N = 56) in terms of age, gender, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and temperament and character inventory (TCI) subscale scores at Time 1 except for harm avoidance being slightly higher among those students who responded at the two measurement occasions
We posited that (1) trait depression, a latent variable, would be composed of the Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2) Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)-D; (2) trait anxiety, another latent variable, would be composed of the T1 and T2 HADS consists of items; the anxiety (HADS-A); (3) all the temperament subscales would be associated with all the character subscales; (4) all the TCI subscales would predict T2 depression and anxiety; (5) trait depression and anxiety would be associated with all the TCI subscales; (6) all the TCI subscales would be associated with T2 Depression and Anxiety; (7) trait depression and trait anxiety would be correlated with each other (Figure 1)

Summary

Objective

To examine the effects of temperament and character profiles on state and trait depression and anxiety in a Japanese youth population. A total of 184 students completed the Japanese version of the temperament and character inventory (TCI) at T1 and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at T1 and T2. We posited two latent variables, trait depression and anxiety, composed of the T1 and T2 HADS depression and anxiety scores, respectively. We posited that temperament domain traits would predict character domain traits, and that all the personality traits would be linked to trait depression and anxiety and predict T2 depression and anxiety. The characteristic associations between TCI subscales and depression and anxiety were limited to the trait rather than state aspects of depression and anxiety

Introduction

SD e8 HA

Methods

Measurements

Results

Discussion