Patterns of aggression in the personality structure of depressed patients.

Abstract

The personality characteristics of 208 depressed patients of both sexes were studied by means of a Swedish personality inventory--the KSP--when the patients had recovered from the depressive syndrome. The patients in the study were divided into unipolars, bipolars, neurotic-reactive and "unspecified", i.e. those patients who did not meet the criteria for inclusion in any of the aforementioned groups. Female patients scored higher on variables of anxiety and psychasthenia and male patients scored higher on variables indicating distance preference and hostility. Several traits, in particular those reflecting aggression-out and hostility-out, appeared to be negatively correlated with age, whereas inhibition of aggression appeared to be positively related with age. Bipolar patients scored slightly differently from unipolars in many variables but none of the differences was significant. Neurotic-reactive patients distinguished themselves from the other in variables of aggression-out. Several interrelations between different personality characteristics and aspects of aggression have been investigated. Significant correlation could be shown between aspects of aggression and socialization, impulsiveness and aspects of anxiety. A positive correlation was shown between inhibition of aggression and social desirability, and both variables were shown to correlate with age. It is concluded that the difference in inhibition of aggression between "endogenous" and "non-endogenous" patients found in earlier studies might be due to a difference in age, and to the influence of social desirability.