The Munich vulnerability study on affective disorders: premorbid psychometric profile of affected individuals.

Objective: We conducted a longitudinal high-risk study to identify psychometric vulnerability markers for affective disorders.

Method: We examined 82 healthy subjects [high-risk probands (HRPs)] with at least one first-degree relative suffering from an affective disorder. The premorbid psychometric profile of 20 HRPs who developed a psychiatric disorder during follow-up was compared with the profile of control subjects without personal and family history of psychiatric disorders matched for age and gender.

Results: Somatization, complaints (vegetative lability), and perception of strain are increased in HRPs who developed a psychiatric disorder. These alterations were not influenced by the time interval until the onset of the disorder.

Conclusion: The premorbid psychometric profile in subjects at high risk for affective disorders is characterized by somatization, complaints, and elevated perception of strain. Together with previous findings our results suggest that these alterations can be regarded as potential vulnerability markers for affective disorders.