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Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of temperament on quality of life and social adaptation in depressive patients with mood disorder. Methods: Forty-six consecutive depressive outpatients were investigated by using the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-Autoquestionnaire version, the Munich Personality Test, the World Health Organization Quality of Life 26 (WHO QOL 26), and the Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS). The unpaired t-test, Pearson's r and multiple regression analysis were used to assess three variables (age, the number of temperaments and/or personality types, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores) as independent variables with the scores of WHO QOL 26 and SASS as the dependent variables. Results: The number of temperaments and/or personalities and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale scores were significantly and negatively associated with WHO QOL 26 scores while only the number of temperaments and/or personalities was significantly and negatively associated with SASS scores. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the combination of temperaments and/or personality types assessed with the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-Autoquestionnaire version and the Munich Personality Test may worsen both quality of life and social adaptation and that some temperaments and/or personality types in combination may be subclinical manifestations of mood disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Converging lines of evidence have established a relationship between exposure to ambient light and both mood state and mood disorders. In view of the association between mood disorder and affective disposition, in this study, the relationship between temperament (depressive, cyclothymic, hyperthymic, irritable and anxious) and daily light exposure was closely examined. Methods: Fifty-six subjects completed the Japanese standardized version of the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-auto questionnaire version (TEMPS-A) and illuminance of daytime using actigraphy. Results: Cyclothymic temperament scores were significantly and negatively associated with illuminance of daytime whereas hyperthymic temperament scores were significantly and positively associated with illuminance of daytime. Limitations: Sample size was relatively small and they were only healthy subjects and no patients. Conclusions: The findings suggest that illuminance of daytime may be related to both cyclothymic and hyperthymic temperaments but that the associations lie in opposite directions. If this is the case, it seems important to consider individual patients'' temperaments when light therapy is used to treat their depressive episode. Further studies are required to determine why and how these temperaments are associated with illuminance. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Growing evidence points to an association of daily light exposure and both mood and mood disorders. In recent studies, we demonstrated that higher illuminance of daytime may be positively associated with hyperthymic temperament while lower illuminance of daytime may be positively associated with cyclothymic temperament. However, it is not possible to determine whether hyperthymic or cyclothymic temperament induces higher or lower illuminance via heliotropism or non-heliotropism or whether higher or lower illuminance induces hyperthymic or cyclothymic temperament via light effects. Methods: In order to elucidate these questions, we sought to compare bipolar temperaments between residents who live in regions with varying levels of sunshine. Japan has 4 large islands —Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Sapporo in Hokkaido and Oita in Kyushu located at 43° and 33° of latitude differ significantly in mean yearly sunshine. We investigated the data of 189 subjects (94 from Sapporo and 95 from Oita) including their data of Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-auto questionnaire version (TEMPS-A). Results: Multiple regression analyses revealed that latitude (Sapporo or Oita) effect predicted significant variance of hyperthymic temperament, but not of the other temperaments. Limitations: The limitation of the present study was that there was a small but significant difference in age between the subjects of Sapporo and those of Oita. Therefore, we included age in the multiple regression analysis. Second, there were several climate factors other than sunshine which were significantly different between Sapporo and Oita. We cannot exclude these effects completely. Finally, we did not consider other factors such as psychosocial factors which might have affected bipolar temperaments. Conclusions: The present findings suggest that relatively lower latitude (potentially via more sunshine) may induce hyperthymic temperament. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]