Affective temperaments in non-depressed patients with alcohol and opiate addictions. Is the “dark side” associated with current depressive symptoms?

Agnieszka Kałwa , Anna Siwy-Hudowska , Margaret Niznikiewicz

Abstract

Background: Studies investigating affective temperament in alcohol and opiate addiction indicate association between those addictions and affective temperaments of the “dark side”. Aim: The present study aimed to investigate relations between depressive symptoms and particular affective temperament types in patients who were not depressed at the time of investigation, and had no diagnosis of mood disorders. The study hypothesized that depressive symptoms in non-depressed patients would be associated with affective temperaments other than hyperthymic. Methods: Eighty one patients: 65 individuals with alcohol addiction (54 males and 9 females) in their last stages of hospital detoxification and 16 subjects with opiate addiction (13 males and 3 females) from outpatient methadone maintenance program, were evaluated. Affective temperament was assessed with the TEMPS-A 110-item questionnaire. Current depressive symptoms were assessed using Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), which was also the method of pre-assessment. Results: Low intensity of the irritable temperament was higher relative to other temperament types in patients with alcohol addiction. In the alcohol group, significant correlations were found between higher HDRS score and cyclothymic, anxious and irritable, but not depressive temperaments. No such associations were found in the opiate addiction group. Both groups did not significantly differ in the intensity of affective temperaments or mean HDRS score. Conclusions: The association between “dark side” temperaments and depressive symptoms in alcohol addicted patients seems to have a different profile relative to the opiate addiction individuals