Introduction

Depression has been called the pandemic of the 21st century. The relationships between temperament traits and the occurrence and development of depression are complex. Personality traits, including temperament traits, may predispose an individual to depression and modify the clinical picture of a depressive disorder.

Aim of the research

The aim of this study was to analyse associations between temperament traits and the severity of depressive symptoms in women.

Material and methods

This study involved women in the general population. The following tools were used: a sociodemographic inquiry form designed by the present authors, the Buss and Plomin Temperament Questionnaire (EAS-D), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II).

Results

The results showed that temperament traits were statistically significantly correlated with the severity of depressive symptoms in the women surveyed. Women with different temperament types/profiles differed significantly in the severity of depressive symptoms and the frequency of their occurrence.

Conclusions

The severity of depressive symptoms was statistically significantly predicted by the following temperament traits: a heightened tendency to react with distress and a low level of activity. Women whose dominant temperament traits were low activity and increased negative emotionality had significantly more severe depressive symptoms than women who were more active and much less likely to react with distress, fear, and anger.