Abstract
Several studies assessed the relationship between depression and dimensions of temperament/character using the Cloninger's model of personality and the TCI-R. The aim of this study is clarify the relation between depression and personality in men and women who are expecting a baby. The Temperament and Character Inventory—Revised Form and the Beck Depression Inventory were administered to 65 pregnant women and 37 husbands during the last quarter of pregnancy. ANOVAs showed that pregnant women had higher levels of depression, reward dependence, and self-transcendence than the expectant fathers. Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analysis in the pregnant women group showed that harm avoidance and self-directedness were significant predictors of the level of depression. In the expectant fathers, only self-directedness was a significant predictor of depression. Low TCI-R self-directedness is a strong predictor of depression in expectant parents during pregnancy regardless of gender, and high TCI-R harm avoidance is an additional predictor of depression in expectant mothers.
Highlights
The relationship between personality and mood disorders must be considered from multiple points of view because of the complexity of the development of both depression and personality
Low Temperament and Character Inventory—Revised Form (TCI-R) self-directedness is a strong predictor of depression in expectant parents during pregnancy regardless of gender, and high TCI-R harm avoidance is an additional predictor of depression in expectant mothers
This study reports the first step of a longitudinal study designed to identify predictors of family functioning and parenting style evaluated at 6 months, 1, and 3 years after a child’s birth
Summary
The relationship between personality and mood disorders must be considered from multiple points of view because of the complexity of the development of both depression and personality. Current mood state can influence how people describe their personality [3]. Cloninger et al [4, 5] developed a psychobiological model in which personality is comprised of both temperament and character traits. The basic emotional drives of temperament are regulated by three character traits in Cloninger’s model of personality development. Self-Transcendence (ST) is a person ability to identify with nature and the world as a whole, so that a person seeks to understand what is beyond their individual human existence and is able to sublimate and Depression Research and Treatment act altruistically. Cloninger’s Temperament and Character Inventory—Revised Form (TCI-R) is one widely used self-report measure of personality and it assessed the temperament and the character according to the Cloninger’s model [7]
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