Longitudinal relationships between personality disorder dimensions and depression in a community sample

Background: Little is known about the long-term relationships between specific personality disorder dimensions and onset of major depressive disorder (MDD) in the community. Methods: A stratified random sample of adult residents of eastern Baltimore was interviewed by psychiatrists in 1981 to assess DSM-III personality disorders. A total of 252 of these individuals were re-examined between 1994 and 1999 and were included in the present analysis. Relationships between scores on personality disorder scales and the onset of MDD in the 13–18 year follow-up period were evaluated using logistic regression models. Results: Forty-nine individuals had an episode of major depression during the follow-up period; 34 of them had their first episode during this period. Only histrionic personality disorder score was significantly related to the occurrence of MDD in the follow-up period. No significant associations were found between first-incidence MDD and any of the personality disorder scores. Limitations: The study was conducted prior to DSM-5 criteria. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the risk of MDD in adults in the community increases with histrionic personality disorder score. Future prospective population-based studies with larger sample sizes are needed in order to verify the present finding.