Role of Personality Styles (Sociotropy/Autonomy) and Moderating Effects of Social Support in Clinically Depressed Patients

This study was done to investigate the moderating effects of social support on severity of depressive symptoms of clinically depressed patients with different personality configurations (sociotropy/autonomy). The participants were 92 unipolar MDD patients (58 female and 34 male) that completed BDI, PSI, LES and ISSB questionnaires. Based on results of regression analysis, social support can moderate severity of depressive symptoms, but its contribution can be influenced by dominant personality configurations. In highly sociotropic depressed patients, the effect of social support on depressive symptoms (BDI score) is significant, but in highly autonomous patients is not significant. In general, highly sociotropic or dependent people value close relationships thus may show more severe depressive symptoms after negative interpersonal events such as loss of perceived social support.