Aim. The prevalence of depression rises substantially throughout adolescence and is associated with various consequences such as social and educational impairments, suicidality, substance abuse and recurrent episodes of the disorder in adulthood. It’s been recently recognized that co-occurrence of depression and personality dysfunctions is very common and this may influence treatment planning and outcome. However, this concomitance stays unrecognized very often. We aim to analyze personality functioning (PF) in adolescents with depression and compare characteristics in those who have personality impairment and not.
Methods: A clinical sample of 67 adolescents from 12 to 17 years old (M=15,03; SD=1.35; 85 % female) with diagnosis of depression or referral because of depressive symptoms participated in the study (inpatient 65,7%; outpatient 34,3%). Self-report questionnaires (Levels of Personality Functioning Questionnaire, Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire, Youth Self-Report) and questions on self-harm were used.
Results: The level of personality functioning in the total sample corresponded T-score of 69 (SD=9), according to Lithuanian norms on LoPFQ-12-18. Based on T-scores the sample was divided into two subgroups: adolescents with depression only when PF<65 (DG; N=18; 72.2% female) and adolescents with both depression and impaired personality functioning when PF>65 (D+PG; N=49; 89,8,% female). General level of self-reported psychopathology was significantly higher in D+PG: teens expressed more internalizing and externalizing difficulties, PTSD symptoms and indicated higher significant impact of their symptoms for daily life. There was no significant difference between DG and D+PG on childhood maltreatment experience except emotional neglect with higher level reported by D+PG. Adolescents in D+PG indicated earlier start of self-harm, did it more often, more suicidal thoughts with a wish to die in comparison to DG adolescents.
Conclusion: Personality dysfunction is related with more complicated symptoms in adolescents with depression. Assessment of personality functioning is important in the context of adolescent’s depression.
The study was funded by Research Council of Lithuania (No S-MIP-21-20)