Cortisol and ACTH responses to the Dex/CRH test: influence of temperament.

Temperament and personality traits such as neuroticism and behavioral inhibition are prospective predictors of the onset of depression and anxiety disorders. Exposure to stress is also linked to the development of these disorders, and neuroticism and inhibition may confer or reflect sensitivity to stressors. Several lines of research have documented hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in some patients with major depression, as well as in children and non-human primates with inhibited temperaments.

Interplay between childhood maltreatment, parental bonding, and gender effects: impact on quality of life.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine associations between childhood adversity, parental bonding, gender, depressive symptoms, and quality of life in non-treatment-seeking adults from the community.

Method: Effects of differential parental rearing were compared in adults who reported a high degree of childhood maltreatment (n=72) and those who reported no significant adverse events in childhood (n=69). Subjects completed retrospective measures of childhood maltreatment and perceived parenting style, as well as measures of current depressive symptoms and quality of life.