Affective temperaments in general population: A review and combined analysis from national studies

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of affective temperaments in general non-clinical population in different countries Method We performed a detailed search of published studies (one unpublished) investigating affective temperaments in non-clinical populations by administering the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Paris and San Diego Auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A) in its 110-items version. We have included a total of six studies published from different countries (Argentina, Germany, Hungary, Korea, Lebanon, and Portugal) and one unpublished with preliminary data from Spain. We analyzed the combined data from the collected studies. Results We fou…

Characterization of patients with mood disorders for their prevalent temperament and level of hopelessness.

Abstract Background Mood disorders (MD) are disabling conditions throughout the world associated with significant psychosocial impairment. Affective temperaments, as well as hopelessness, may play a significant role in the pathophysiology of MD. The present study was designed to characterize patients with MD for their prevalent affective temperament and level of hopelessness. Methods Five hundred fifty-nine (253 men and 306 women) consecutive adult inpatients were assessed using the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-Autoquestionnaire version (TEMPS-A), the Gotland Scale for Male Depression (GSMD), the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and the Mini International Neurop…

Pharmacotherapy in bipolar disorders during hospitalization and at discharge predicts clinical and psychosocial functioning at follow-up

Objective Individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) usually report significant disability and psychosocial impairment. Both the nature and causes associated with this impairment are poorly understood. In particular, research examining the impact of pharmacotherapy on the different aspects of psychosocial functioning in bipolar patients is currently lacking. The aim of this study was to assess to what extent the psychotropic medications used during psychiatric hospitalization and at discharge can predict clinical psychosocial functioning and the severity of the illness at follow-up in inpatients with bipolar disorder (BD). Methods Patients were 71 adult BD patients contacted on average 31 month…

Hyperthymic temperament may protect against suicidal ideation.

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate the role of hyperthymic temperament in suicidal ideation between a sample of patients with affective disorders (unipolar and bipolar). Method We investigated affective disorders outpatients (unipolar, bipolar I, II and NOS) treated in eleven participating centres during at least a six-month period. DSM-IV diagnosis was made by psychiatrists experienced in mood disorders, using the corresponding modules of the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). In addition, bipolar NOS diagnoses were extended by guidelines for bipolar spectrum symptoms as proposed by Akiskal and Pinto in 1999. Thereby we also identified NOS III (…

From putative genes to temperament and culture: Cultural characteristics of the distribution of dominant affective temperaments in national studies

Abstract Background Affective temperaments may carry distinct evolutionary advantages both on the individual or a group level, so we can expect that in different cultural and national samples the frequency of dominant affective temperaments will show characteristic differences. The aim of the present study was to investigate the characteristics of distribution of dominant affective temperaments in different national studies of general non-clinical population. Method In our study we included six studies published in different countries around the world (Argentina, Germany, Hungary, Korea, Portugal, and Lebanon) which investigated a large sample of non-clinical population using TEMPS-A, and r…

Affective Temperaments and Mood Disorders: A Review of Current Knowledge

Association between affective temperaments and season of birth in a general student population.

Abstract Background Several studies indicate a significant association between birth season and personality and neuropsychiatric disorders. The aim of our present study was to investigate the association between affective temperaments and season of birth in a nonclinical sample. Methods 366 university students completed the standardized Hungarian version of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-Auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A). Ordinary Least Squares regression was applied to explain the relationship between TEMPS-A subscale and birth season of the respondents. Results We found a significant association between temperament scores and birth season in the case of the Hy…