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Hostility and depressive mood: results from the Whitehall II prospective cohort study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 July 2009

H. Nabi ,
A. Singh-Manoux ,
J. E. Ferrie ,
M. G. Marmot ,
M. Melchior  and
M. Kivimäki
H. Nabi*
Affiliation:
INSERM U687-IFR69, Villejuif, F-94807, France
A. Singh-Manoux
Affiliation:
INSERM U687-IFR69, Villejuif, F-94807, France Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, UK Hôpital Ste Périne, Centre de Gérontologie, Paris, F-75781, France
J. E. Ferrie
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, UK
M. G. Marmot
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, UK
M. Melchior
Affiliation:
INSERM U687-IFR69, Villejuif, F-94807, France
M. Kivimäki
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, UK
*
*Address for correspondence: H. Nabi, Ph.D., INSERM, U687, Hôpital Paul Brousse/Bâtiment 15/16, 16 avenue Paul Vaillant Couturier, 94807Villejuif Cedex, France. (Email: [email protected])
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Abstract

Background

The psychosocial vulnerability model of hostility posits that hostile individuals, given their oppositional attitudes and behaviours, are more likely to have increased interpersonal conflicts, lower social support, more stressful life events (SL-E) and higher likelihood of depression. However, little research has tested this hypothesis using large-scale prospective samples. The present study aims to assess the predictive value of hostility for depressive mood.

Method

Data are from 3399 participants in the Whitehall II cohort study, aged 35–55 years at baseline (phase 1 1985–1988). Cynical hostility was measured at phase 1. Depressive mood was assessed at phase 7 (2002–2004). Sociodemographic characteristics, health-related behaviours, common mental disorders and antidepressant medication intake were assessed at phase 1. SL-E and confiding/emotional support were measured at phases 1, 2 (1989–1990) and 5 (1997–1999).

Results

Compared with participants in the lowest quartile of cynical hostility, those in the highest quartiles were more likely to have depressive mood [second quartile: odds ratio (OR) 1.58, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14–2.20; third quartile: OR 2.78, 95% CI 2.03–3.77; fourth quartile: OR 4.66, 95% CI 3.41–6.36] in analysis adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics. This graded association was somewhat attenuated (⩽18%) but remained robust to adjustments for the covariates measured at baseline and follow-up. The association was also evident in participants free of mental health difficulties at baseline.

Conclusions

Cynical hostility is a strong and robust predictor of depressive mood. Consideration of personality characteristics may be crucial to the understanding and management of depression.

Keywords

Depressive moodhostilitypsychosocial vulnerabilitysocial supportstressful life events
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 40 , Issue 3 , March 2010 , pp. 405 - 413
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2009

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