The PAD Temperament Model provides a framework for the analysis of adjusted and maladjusted personality characteristics. Extrapolating from findings bearing on the model, it was hypothesized that Trait Anxiety and Depression have substantial similarities, but differ with respect to Trait Arousability. Consistent with the hypotheses, Depression involved unpleasant and submissive characteristics and a marginal positive contribution from Trait Arousability. Trait Anxiety also involved unpleasant and submissive temperament attributes, but included a stronger positive contribution from Trait Arousability. Thus, the anxious were significantly more arousable than the depressed. Furthermore, the depressed were found to be significantly more submissive than the anxious. Findings were related to alternative theoretical approaches to depression and anxiety. Implications regarding suicide risks and drug treatments of the two conditions were discussed.
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