Family Relationships, Personality Disorder Functioning Styles and Emotional States in Generalized Anxiety and Major Depressive Disorders

Abstract

Objective: Family relationship affects personality development and emotional regulation, which might be more pronounced in generalized anxiety (GAD) and major depressive (MD) disorders. Method: Thirty patients with GAD, 31 MD, and 32 healthy volunteers answered the Family Relationship Questionnaire (FRQ), the Parker Personality Measure (PERM), and the Hamilton Anxiety and Depression Rating Scales. Results: Compared to healthy controls, both patient groups scored higher on FRQ Paternal Abuse and Paternal Dominance, and lower on Maternal Freedom Release; GAD in addition scored lower on Maternal Abuse and Maternal Dominance. All PERM scale scores except Narcissistic were higher in MD than those in GAD, and all scale scores except Schizotypal and Narcissistic were higher in MD than in controls. Maternal Encouragement was associated with the Paranoid and Schizotypal styles, and Maternal Freedom Release the Avoidant and Borderline in GAD; and Maternal Encouragement the Paranoid, Paternal Dominance the Avoidant, Paternal Freedom Release (-) and Maternal Freedom Release the anxiety, and the Dependent the depression in MD. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates different associations between family relationships and personality traits/ emotional states in MD and GAD, suggesting different forms of family therapy for the two disorders.