BRITISH JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY )2001), 178, 549^552 Sensation-seeking, life events and depression no current or past history of depression and had a sibling C-sib) who was willing The Cardiff Depression Study to participate in the study. Wherever possible, the sibling nearest in age to the D-proband or the C-proband was studied. ANNE FARMER, KATE REDMAN, TANYA HARRIS, ARSHAD MAHMOOD, However, if this sibling was unavailable STEPHANIE SADLER and PETER MCCGUFFIN or unwilling, the sibling next in age was asked to participate. Most interviews were conducted face to face but for 18.5% of the D-sibs and 33.3% of the C-sibs telephone interviews were undertaken. Background The relationship Adverse events are associated with the onset between adversityandgeneticriskadversityandgenetic risk factors of depressive episodes Brown & Harris, Interviews and self-rating 1978; Paykel, 1978) and there is evidence questionnaires in depression could be mediated by familial that both depression and adversity are All subjects were interviewed using the `hazard prone'traits, as reflectedin high familial and genetically influenced Plomin Schedules for Clinical Assessment in levels of sensation-seeking. & Bergman, 1991; Thapar & McGuffin, Neuropsychiatry SCAN; Wing et aletal,, 1996). This familial relationship could be 1990) and the Life Events and Difficulties Aims To eexamine x a min e wwhether h e t h e r highigh h mediated by aspects of personality that also Schedule LEDS; Brown & Harris, 1978). sensation-seeking scores are associated run in families. For example, certain person- The severity and threat of events scored with more adverse life events resultingresultingin in ality characteristics could lead to risk-taking on the LEDS were rated contextually by depression.depression. behaviour, which could generate an excess an expert panel Brown & Harris, 1978; of adverse life events. This has been FarmerFarmer et aletal, 2000). For subjects who were MethodMethod In a sib-pair design,108 dedescribedscribed as `hazard proneness' McGuffin depressed at the time of interview, the date probands with depression and their et aletal, 1988), and the Sensation-Seeking of onset of the current episode was deter- Questionnaire SSQ; Zuckerman et aletal,, mined and life events were recorded for siblings and105 healthyhealthycontrol control subjects 1978) provides one method for measuring the 12 months prior to that date. For all and their siblings were compared for such risk-taking personality traits. In this non-depressed subjects, events and diffi- psychopathology,lifepsychopathology, life events and scores on study, we have used a sib-pair design to culties were recorded for the 12 months the Sensation-Seeking Questionnaire examine whether those who have high prior to interview. scores on the SSQ have more adverse events 'SSQ).'SSQ). All subjects also completed a number of and therefore are more likely to become self-report questionnaires, including the ResultsResults The SSQ scores were depressed.depressed. SSQ Zuckerman et aletal, 1978) and the Beck correlated negatively with depression, Depression Inventory BDI; Beck et aletal,, METHOD 1961).1961). were familial and were correlated Information obtained at the SCAN Proband and sibling recruitment positively with less severe events, but not interview was entered into the CATEGO the severe events typically associated with One hundred and five probands with 5 scoring program to obtain ICD±10 diag- depressive onsets. depression D-probands) aged 18±65 years noses and an eight-point psychopathology who fulfilled the research criteria of the severity rating, the index of definition ID) Conclusions The SSQ measures a International Classification of Diseases,, for each subject. 10th edition ICD±10; World Health Orga- familialpersonality trait and depressionis The Statistical Package for the Social nization, 1992) F32 and F33) and who had Sciences SPSS, version 8, for Windows) associated with lower scores. Although a sibling D-sib) who was willing to be was used to create a database and to under- high sensation-seeking is associated with a studied were recruited via the psychiatric take the statistical analyses. higher rate of life events, these carrylittlecarry little services and general practitioner lists based threat. in Cardiff and South Gwent, Wales. Subjects with a current or prior history of RESULTSRESULTS Declaration of interest Study psychotic or bipolar symptoms were Age and gender and sensation- funded by the WellcomeTrust. excluded.excluded. Age- and gender-matched control seeking scores subjects C-probands) were drawn from Age was significantly negatively correlated patients attending dental and orthopaedic with SSQ scores Pearson correlation co- out-patient clinics and from among the efficientefficient rr770.49,0.49, PP550.001).0.001). employees of the University Hospital of The mean SSQ score for 140 male sub- Wales National Health Service NHS) jects was 17.79 95% CI 16.52±19.06) Trust. The latter were invited to participate and for 286 female subjects it was 13.33 via a request in their wage or salary slips. 95% CI 12.54±14.13) tt6.09, d.f.d.f.6.09, 424,424, The C-probands were included if they had PP550.001).0.001). 549549 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. 06 Oct 2021 at 12:03:35, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use. FARMER ET AL The mean sensation scores for male and Table 1 shows that mean SSQ scores depression was therefore undertaken, female subjects by each subject group are are significantly lower for both male and dividing the subjects into 116 who were shown in Table 1. For D-probands there female D-probands compared with the depressed at the time of interview mean were no significant differences for SSQ other three groups male subjects: analysis SSQSSQscorescore11.93, 95% CI 10.83±13.03), scores by gender tt1.39,1.39,d.f.d.f.106,106, of variance ANOVA), FF8.61,8.61,d.f.d.f.33 24 who reported any previous episode of PPNS). For the other three groups the male andand136,136, PP550.001; female subjects: depression mean SSQ score14.50, 95% subjects had significantly higher SSQ scores ANOVA,ANOVA, FF3.99,3.99,d.f.d.f.3 and 281, CI 11.64±17.36) and 286 who had never than female subjects D-sibs: tt4.02,4.02, PP0.008). The ANOVAs also showed been depressed mean SSQ score16.00,16.00, d.f.d.f.106,106, PP550.001; C-probands: tt2.91,2.91, significant effects for gender and depressive 95% CI 15.10±16.89). The results showed d.f.d.f.103,103, PP0.004; C-sibs: tt4.03,4.03, status independently, but no significant that those who were currently depressed d.f.d.f.103,103, PP550.001).0.001). interactional effects between these variables had significantly lower SSQ scores than gender:gender: FF11.47, d.f.1,1, PP0.001;0.001; the other two groups FF ratioratio13.19,13.19, depressive status: FF16.42,16.42,d.f.d.f.2,2, PP55 d.f.d.f.33andand422,422, PP550.001). However, there 0.001; gender by depressive status: was no significant difference in scores FF2.54,2.54,d.f.d.f.2,2, PP0.08).0.08). between those with a past history of Sensation-seeking and depression Eight of the D-sibs were depressed at depression compared with those who had mmeeasasuurreses the time of interview and a further 22 D-sibs never been depressed tt1.03,1.03,d.f.d.f.28.21,28.21, The SSQ scores were significantly nega- plus two of the C-sibs had experienced an PPNS).NS). tively correlated with scores on the BDI episode of depression in the past but were rr770.22,0.22, PP550.001) and significantly not currently depressed. An ANOVA to Familial patterns and SSQ scores negatively correlated with the CATEGO- examine the relationship between SSQ The SSQ scores for D-probands and C- 5-derived ID rr770.21,0.21, PP550.001).0.001). scores for current and past history of probands were correlated significantly with those of their siblings rr0.28,0.28, PP550.001).0.001). TaTable b l e 1 Mean Sensation-Seeking Questionnaire #SSQ) score and 95% CI for males and females by each When the D-sibs were compared with subject group the C-sibs omitting any sibling with a current or past history of depression), the Subject groupNo. of subjectsSSQscore 95% CI C-sibs had significantly higher mean SSQ scores mean SSQ score for 103 C- DD--pprrobandsobands sisibsbs17.31, 95% CI 15.66±18.96; mean Male 38 13.18 10.96^15.41 SSQ score for 87 D-sibs14.20, 95% CI FeFemmaallee 70 11.47 10.11^12.83 12.69±15.70, tt2.2.7272,,d.d.f.f.18188,8, PP0.0.00007)7).. D-D-ssiibbss Male 33 17.94 15.53^20.35 Relationship between life event FeFemmaallee 7575 12.54 11.1011.10^13.99 ^13.99 measures, depression and SSQ CC--pprrobandsobands scscoorreess Male 27 19.15 1616.8.800^^2121.5.500 The mean number of independent, and FeFemmaallee 78 14.69 13.08^16.30 possibly independent, severe threatening C-sibs LEDS rated 1+2) and less severe LEDS rated 3+4) life events contextually rated, Male 42 2020..9898 18.46^23.49 with 95% CIs for each subject group over FeFemmaallee 63 14.65 12.70^16.60 a 12-month time frame for currently D-probands, probands with depression; D-sibs, siblings of probands with depression; C-probands, control probands; depressed subjects this was the 12 months C-sibs, siblings of control probands. prior to illness onset and for non-depressed subjects it was the 12 months prior to inter- TaTable b l e 2 Mean number of severe threatening events and less severe events over12 months11 for each subject view), are shown in Table 2.