Humiliation and interpersonal sensitivity in depression

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between humiliation and protective psychosocial factors in a sample of depressed patients.

Method: We assessed humiliation, psychiatric symptoms, negative primary familial environment and resilience in 70 depressed patients, 33 male and 37 female, and analyzed the correlations between these variables. Then to better understand the relations among the assessed variables we controlled for the depression severity and replicated the correlational analyses.

Results: A pattern of significant correlations among all the constructs emerged. Correlations between humiliation, interpersonal sensitivity, negative primary familial environment and resilience persisted after controlling for depression severity.

Limitations: The cross sectional nature of this study; the use of self-report instruments; the lack of personality assessment.

Conclusions: This study provides a contribution to the understanding of the relationship between the experience of humiliation and negative primary familial environment, protective factors and clinical interpersonal sensitivity in depressed patients.

Keywords: Brief Symptoms Inventory; Depression; Humiliation; Negative primary familial environment; Resilience.