Chunk #50 — PERSONALITY TRAIT DIMENSIONS — The Five-Factor Model — Evidence bearing on causal models — Personality before and after a depressive episode
Several studies have tested the consequences (or scar) hypothesis by comparing personality measures in depressed individuals before and after a MDD episode. The results of these studies have been inconsistent. Kendler and colleagues reported increases in N/NE (but not E/PE) after a depressive episode in two separate samples (Fanous et al. 2007, Kendler et al. 1993); however, other studies have found that N/NE and E/PE do not change from before to after a MDD episode (e.g., Ormel et al. 2004a, Shea et al. 1996). Importantly, the studies reporting scarring used less stringent criteria for recovery and shorter follow-ups, suggesting that the findings may be due to residual symptoms and/or that the scars dissipate over time.
