Mood disorders (MD) are disabling conditions throughout the world associated with significant psychosocial impairment. Affective temperaments, as well as hopelessness, may play a significant role in the pathophysiology of MD. The present study was designed to characterize patients with MD for their prevalent affective temperament and level of hopelessness.

559 consecutive adult inpatients were assessed using the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego- Autoquestionnaire version (TEMPS-A), the Gotland Scale for Male Depression (GSMD), the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI).

Higher cyclothymia (27.7% vs. 20.0%, < 0.05) and irritable (34.7% vs. 22.9%, p < 0.05) temperaments were found in bipolar disorder-I (BD-I) patients compared to those with other Axis I diagnoses. Major depressive disorder (MDD) patients had lower hyperthymia than BD-I and BD-II (22.9% vs. 44.6% vs. 40.7% p < 0.05) and higher anxiety than patients with other Axis I diagnoses (52.1% vs. 22.3%, p < 0.05). Severe’male’ depression was more common in BD-II patients compared to BD-I and MDD, respectively (33.7% vs. 16.3% vs. 22.9% p < 0.05). BD-I and patients with other axis I diagnoses reported lower BHS≥9 scores (41.6% and 36.6% vs. 61.6% and 62.5%, p < 0.05) than those with BD-II and MDD.

MDD patients were more likely to have anxious prevalent temperament, higher hopelessness and lower hypethimic temperament while BD-I patients had more frequently cyclothymic and irritable temperaments than patients with other Axis I diagnoses. The implications of the present results were discussed.