The Relationship Between the Five-Factor Model of Personality and Symptoms of Clinical Disorders: A Meta-Analysis

Personality traits as predictors of depression across the lifespan

BACKGROUND

Depression is a major public health concern. A barrier for research has been the heterogeneous nature of depression, complicated by the categorical diagnosis of depression which is based on a cluster of symptoms, each with its own etiology. To address the multifactorial etiology of depression and its high comorbidity with anxiety, we aimed to examine the relations between personality traits, diverse behavioral, cognitive and physical measures, and depression and anxiety over the lifespan.

METHOD

Our sample was drawn from the NKI-RS, a community-based lifespan sample (N = 1494 participants aged 6 to 85). Analyses included multivariate approach and general linear models for group comparisons and dimensional analyses, respectively. A machine learning model was trained to predict depression using many factors including personality traits.

RESULTS

Depression and anxiety were both characterized by increased neuroticism and introversion, but did not differ between themselves. Comorbidity had an additive effect on personality vulnerability. Dimensionally, depression was only associated with personality in adolescence, where it was positively correlated with neuroticism, and negatively correlated with extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. The relationship between anxiety and personality changed over time, with neuroticism and conscientiousness being the most salient traits. Our machine learning model predicted depression with 70 % accuracy with neuroticism and extraversion contributing most.

LIMITATIONS

Due to the cross-sectional design, conclusions cannot be drawn about causal relationships between personality and depression.

CONCLUSION

These results underscore the impact of personality on depressive disorders and provide novel insights on how personality contributes to depression across the lifespan.

Coping, (mal)adaptive personality and identity in young adults: A network analysis

Coping, personality, and identity are three well-known constructs within the field of psychology. Yet, findings regarding how these constructs relate to each other have been inconsistent. The present study employs network analysis to investigate coping, adaptive and maladaptive personality, and identity and how they are related, using data from the Flemish Study on Parenting, Personality, and Development (FSPPD; Prinzie et al., 2003; 1999-current). Young adults (N = 457; 47% male), aged between 17-23 years old, completed a survey on coping, adaptive and maladaptive personality, and identity. Results indicate clear associations between coping and both adaptive and maladaptive personality within the network, suggesting coping and personality are distinct, yet highly related constructs whereas identity proved largely unrelated. Potential implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Identifying tripartite relationship among cortical thickness, neuroticism, and mood and anxiety disorders

The number of young adults seeking help for emotional distress, subsyndromal-syndromal mood/anxiety symptoms, including those associated with neuroticism, is rising and can be an early manifestation of mood/anxiety disorders. Identification of gray matter (GM) thickness alterations and their relationship with neuroticism and mood/anxiety symptoms can aid in earlier diagnosis and prevention of risk for future mood and anxiety disorders. In a transdiagnostic sample of young adults (n = 252;177 females; age 21.7 ± 2), Hypothesis (H) 1:regularized regression followed by multiple regression examined relationships among GM cortical thickness and clinician-rated depression, anxiety, and mania/hypomania; H2:the neuroticism factor and its subfactors as measured by NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) were tested as mediators. Analyses revealed positive relationships between left parsopercularis thickness and depression (B = 4.87, p = 0.002), anxiety (B = 4.68, p = 0.002), mania/hypomania (B = 6.08, p ≤ 0.001); negative relationships between left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) thickness and depression (B = - 5.64, p ≤ 0.001), anxiety (B = - 6.77, p ≤ 0.001), mania/hypomania (B = - 6.47, p ≤ 0.001); and positive relationships between left isthmus cingulate thickness (B = 2.84, p = 0.011), and anxiety. NEO anger/hostility mediated the relationship between left ITG thickness and mania/hypomania; NEO vulnerability mediated the relationship between left ITG thickness and depression. Examining the interrelationships among cortical thickness, neuroticism and mood and anxiety symptoms enriches the potential for identifying markers conferring risk for mood and anxiety disorders and can provide targets for personalized intervention strategies for these disorders.

Do PID-5 Trait Scores Predict Symptom Disorders? A Meta-analytic Review

The Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) has become influential in the dimensional assessment of personality dysfunction. Though most studies have examined links between PID-5 trait domains and personality pathology, a number of investigations have assessed relationships between PID-5 scores and symptom disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety). We employed meta-analytic techniques to synthesize findings in this area, identifying 26 publications assessing associations between PID-5 scores and symptom disorders (N of effect sizes across the five trait domains = 260). PID-5 domain score effect sizes (rs) ranged from 0.20 for Antagonism to 0.35 for Negative Affect (all ps < .00001). Relationships between PID-5 scores and specific forms of psychopathology were generally consistent with expectations, with some unanticipated relationships as well. Findings confirm that the pathological personality traits assessed by the PID-5 predict symptom disorders as well as personality dysfunction, extending the heuristic value and clinical utility of the measure.

Transdiagnostic clustering of self-schema from self-referential judgements identifies subtypes of healthy personality and depression

Introduction

The heterogeneity of depressive and anxiety disorders complicates clinical management as it may account for differences in trajectory and treatment response. Self-schemas, which can be determined by Self-Referential Judgements (SRJs), are heterogeneous yet stable. SRJs have been used to characterize personality in the general population and shown to be prognostic in depressive and anxiety disorders.

Methods

In this study, we used SRJs from a Self-Referential Encoding Task (SRET) to identify clusters from a clinical sample of 119 patients recruited from the Institute of Mental Health presenting with depressive or anxiety symptoms and a non-clinical sample of 115 healthy adults. The generated clusters were examined in terms of most endorsed words, cross-sample correspondence, association with depressive symptoms and the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire and diagnostic category.

Results

We identify a 5-cluster solution in each sample and a 7-cluster solution in the combined sample. When perturbed, metrics such as optimum cluster number, criterion value, likelihood, DBI and CHI remained stable and cluster centers appeared stable when using BIC or ICL as criteria. Top endorsed words in clusters were meaningful across theoretical frameworks from personality, psychodynamic concepts of relatedness and self-definition, and valence in self-referential processing. The clinical clusters were labeled "Neurotic" (C1), "Extraverted" (C2), "Anxious to please" (C3), "Self-critical" (C4), "Conscientious" (C5). The non-clinical clusters were labeled "Self-confident" (N1), "Low endorsement" (N2), "Non-neurotic" (N3), "Neurotic" (N4), "High endorsement" (N5). The combined clusters were labeled "Self-confident" (NC1), "Externalising" (NC2), "Neurotic" (NC3), "Secure" (NC4), "Low endorsement" (NC5), "High endorsement" (NC6), "Self-critical" (NC7). Cluster differences were observed in endorsement of positive and negative words, latency biases, recall biases, depressive symptoms, frequency of depressive disorders and self-criticism.

Discussion

Overall, clusters endorsing more negative words tended to endorse fewer positive words, showed more negative biases in reaction time and negative recall bias, reported more severe depressive symptoms and a higher frequency of depressive disorders and more self-criticism in the clinical population. SRJ-based clustering represents a novel transdiagnostic framework for subgrouping patients with depressive and anxiety symptoms that may support the future translation of the science of self-referential processing, personality and psychodynamic concepts of self-definition to clinical applications.

Distress Symptoms of Old Age and Mild Cognitive Impairment are Two Distinct Dimensions in Older Adults Without Major Depression

Background

Studies in old adults showed bidirectional interconnections between amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and affective symptoms and that adverse childhood experiences (ACE) may affect both factors. Nevertheless, these associations may be confined to older adults with clinical depression.

Aim

To delineate the relationship between clinical symptoms of aMCI and affective symptoms in older adults without major depression (MDD) or dysfunctions in activities of daily living (ADL).

Methods

This case-control study recruited 61 participants with aMCI (diagnosed using Petersen's criteria) and 59 older adults without aMCI and excluded subjects with MDD and ADL dysfunctions.

Results

We uncovered 2 distinct dimensions, namely distress symptoms of old age (DSOA), comprising affective symptoms, perceived stress and neuroticism, and mild cognitive dysfunctions, comprising episodic memory test scores, the total Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores. A large part of the variance (37.9%) in DSOA scores was explained by ACE, negative life events (health and financial problems), a subjective feeling of cognitive decline, and education (all positively). ACE and NLE have a highly significant impact on the DSOA score and are not associated with aMCI or its severity. Cluster analysis showed that the diagnosis of aMCI is overinclusive because some subjects with DSOA symptoms may be incorrectly classified as aMCI.

Conclusion

The clinical impact is that clinicians should carefully screen older adults for DSOA after excluding MDD. DSOA might be misinterpreted as aMCI.

Assessing Theories of State and Trait Change in Neuroticism and Symptom Improvement in the Unified Protocol

Researchers have shown neuroticism decreases with treatment (Roberts et al., 2017), although it is unclear if this reflects fleeting state-level changes (state-artifact position) or trait-level change (cause-correction hypothesis). These theories further propose that changes in neuroticism predict symptom change (cause-correction hypothesis) or are predicted by symptom change (state-artifact position). We compared these theories in a clinical trial of the Unified Protocol (UP). Participants (N = 38; Mage = 34.55, 71.1% female, 78.9% Caucasian) meeting DSM-5 criteria for a primary emotional disorder completed up to 12 weekly sessions of the UP. Neuroticism exhibited state-level changes by Session 6 but trait-level changes by Session 12. Within-person reductions in neuroticism exhibited bidirectional relations with anxiety symptom change but predicted unidirectional session-to-session reductions in depression. These findings provide relatively more nuanced support for the cause-correction hypothesis that the UP leads to trait changes in neuroticism that tend to precede symptom change.

Associations of antidepressant medication consumption with changes in personality pathology and quality of life among community-dwelling adults

BACKGROUND

Although antidepressant medication (ADM) has produced small advantages over pill placebo in randomized controlled trials, consuming ADM has predicted prospectively increasing depressive symptom severity in samples of community-dwelling adults.

OBJECTIVE

We extended the community literature by testing ADM's relations to changes in personality and quality of life that may underpin depression.

METHOD

In this longitudinal, observational study, community-dwelling adults (N = 601) were assessed twice, 8 months apart on average. Assessments included depressive symptoms, personality, life satisfaction and quality, and prescription medication consumption.

RESULTS

Consuming ADM at time 1 predicted relative increases in depressive symptoms (dysphoria), maladaptive traits (negative affect, negative temperament, disinhibition, low conscientiousness), personality dysfunction (non-coping, self-pathology), and decreases in life satisfaction and quality from time 1 to 2, before and after adjustment for age, gender, race, income, education, physical health problems, and use of other psychotropics. In no analysis did ADM use predict better outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Among community-dwelling adults, ADM use is a risk factor for psychosocial deterioration in domains including depressive symptoms, personality pathology, and quality of life. Until mechanisms connecting ADM to poor outcomes in community samples are understood, additional caution in use of ADM and consideration of empirically supported non-pharmacologic treatments is prudent.

A head-to-head comparison of eight unique personality systems in predicting somatization phenomenon

BACKGROUND

If somatization is an independent personality trait, it is not clear whether it is specific to the temperament or maladaptive spectrum of personality. We aimed at the head-to-head comparison of temperament and maladaptive systems and spectra of personality to predict both somatization and somatic symptom and related disorders (SSRD).

METHODS

The samples included 257 cases with SSRD (70.8% female) and 1007 non-SSRD (64.3% female) from Western Iran. The Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5), Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 (PDQ-4), Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego-Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A), Affective and Emotional Composite Temperament Scale (AFECTS), and Positive Affect and Negative Affect Model (PANAS) was used to data collection. A somatization factor plus temperament and maladaptive spectra of personality were extracted using exploratory factor analysis. Several hierarchical linear and logistic regressions were used to test the predictive systems and spectra.

RESULTS

All personality systems jointly predict both somatization and SSRD with a slightly higher contribution for temperament systems. When the temperament and maladaptive spectra were compared, both spectra above each other significantly predicted both somatization (R2 = .407 versus .263) and SSRD (R2 = .280 versus .211). The temperament spectrum explained more variance beyond the maladaptive spectrum when predicting both the somatization factor (change in R2 = .156 versus .012) and SSRD (change in R2 = .079 versus .010).

CONCLUSION

All temperament and maladaptive frameworks of personality are complementary to predicting both somatization and SSRD. However, the somatization is more related to the temperament than the maladaptive spectrum of personality.

Neuroticism facets and mortality risk in adulthood: A systematic review and narrative synthesis

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review sought to summarize comprehensively the research investigating the association between facets of neuroticism and mortality risk.

METHODS

A systematic review of prospective cohort studies utilizing rigorous reporting methods was conducted. Six electronic bibliographic databases, MEDLINE [Ovid], Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, and SCOPUS, were searched for eligible studies using keywords encompassing personality traits and mortality. Articles from inception to January 2023 were reviewed. The risk of bias was also assessed.

RESULTS

Six of the 2358 identified studies met the inclusion criteria for extraction. Included studies had 335,715 participants, of whom 3.23% died. Participants ages at baseline ranged from 20 to 102, and 54% were female. Five of the six studies reported statistically significant associations between facets of neuroticism and mortality risk. Several underlying facets were reported to be associated with an increased mortality risk, namely vulnerability, cynicism, pessimistic, anxious, and depressive facets. Inadequacy, and worried-vulnerable were reported as protective. One study reported protective effects for impulsiveness, but this was not observed in a further follow-up study.

CONCLUSIONS

Various facets related to neuroticism are associated with an increased or decreased mortality risk. Encompassing all facets in a broad trait likely masks very important personality-health relations, which later impact longevity. Based on these findings, recommendations and future considerations are discussed.

Disinhibition domain and facets uniquely predict changes in depressive symptoms and psychosocial functioning

This study aimed to understand the role of disinhibition (low conscientiousness)-in conjunction with the other major personality traits of negative affectivity, detachment, antagonism, and psychoticism-in predicting changes in depressive symptoms and psychosocial functioning. Both the disinhibition trait domain and its primary facets (i.e., irresponsibility, impulsivity, and distractibility) were examined. In a large sample (Time 1 N = 605, Time 2 N = 497) of psychiatric outpatients and high-risk community residents, personality traits, depressive symptoms (both self-reported and interviewer-rated), and psychosocial functioning levels (i.e., daily functioning, interpersonal functioning, health-related quality of life, and global quality of life) were collected across two time points. Results showed that the disinhibition domain was the strongest predictor of changes in depressive symptoms and general quality of life levels. Disinhibition facets also predicted changes in depressive symptoms but showed a less consistent pattern compared to the broader trait domain. Finally, the irresponsibility and distractibility facets significantly and uniquely explained changes in interpersonal functioning. The study highlights the importance of assessing the disinhibition trait rather than only negative and positive affectivity (which are well-known correlates of depression), for understanding changes in depressive symptoms and psychosocial functioning. The findings identify potential targets in psychotherapy for individuals with disinhibition traits and depressive disorders.

Personality traits and risk of eating disorders among Polish women: the moderating role of self-esteem

Objectives

Personality traits should be taken into account when diagnosing individuals with disordered eating behaviors in the hope of better understanding their etiology and symptom progression and when planning treatment. The objective of this study was to attempt to determine the moderating role of self-esteem in the relationships between personality traits included in the Big Five model among Polish women and estimated risk of eating disorders.

Methods

The study was conducted among 556 Polish women from Zachodniopomorskie Voivodeship. The average age of the women under study was 34 years. A diagnostic survey was used as the research method, and the empirical data were collected using the following research tools: The NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), ORTO - 15 Questionnaire, The Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-13), and the authors' original questionnaire. A multivariate linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the influence of selected independent variables. The assumptions for the linear regression model were satisfied, as indicated by the Ramsey Regression Equation Specification Error Test, White's test, and the Jarque-Bera test.

Results

Only the personality trait of neuroticism exhibits a statistically significant effect on the "Cognitive Restraint of Eating," "Uncontrolled Eating," and "Emotional Eating" scores (p < 0.001). The moderation effect was demonstrated between self-esteem and the personality trait of conscientiousness on the "Cognitive Restraint of Eating" scale score. There is a moderation effect between self-esteem and the personality trait of extraversion on the "Uncontrolled Eating" subscale score. There is a moderation effect between self-esteem and the personality trait of conscientiousness on the "Uncontrolled Eating" scale score.

Conclusion

Self-esteem was not a predictor of the occurrence of risk of eating disorders while playing a moderating role in the relationship between certain personality traits and estimated risk of eating disorders. A higher level of neuroticism was identified as an important predictor of higher results for orthorexia, Cognitive Restraint of Eating, Uncontrolled Eating, and Emotional Eating. It was also demonstrated that the orthorexia risk index decreased with increased extraversion and openness to experience. The results of this study suggest that eating behaviors and psychological factors should be included in psychological interventions in the treatment of eating disorders. The clinical goal can be considered to be an improvement in non-normative eating behaviors, such as a reduction in overeating episodes or eating less frequently in the absence of a hunger feeling. In order to assist these individuals in their attempts to achieve healthy behaviors, variables related to mental functioning can be then identified as important goals to support individuals in their efforts to change health behaviors by achieving better mental well-being.

Psychopathology in children: The transdiagnostic contribution of affiliative capacity and inhibitory control

Recent initiatives have focused on integrating transdiagnostic biobehavioral processes or dispositions with dimensional models of psychopathology. Toward this goal, biobehavioral traits of affiliative capacity (AFF) and inhibitory control (INH) hold particular promise as they demonstrate transdiagnostic stability and predictive validity across developmental stages and differing measurement modalities. The current study employed data from different modes of measurement in a sample of 1830 children aged 5-10 years to test for associations of AFF and INH, individually and interactively, with broad dimensions of psychopathology. Low AFF, assessed via parent-report, evidenced predictive relations with distress- and externalizing-related problems. INH as assessed by cognitive-task performance did not relate itself to either psychopathology dimension, but it moderated the effects observed for low AFF, such that high INH protected against distress symptoms in low-AFF participants, whereas low INH amplified distress and externalizing symptoms in low-AFF participants. Results are discussed in the context of the interface of general trait transdiagnostic risk factors with quantitatively derived dimensional models of psychopathology.

A person-centered approach to resilience and vulnerability in emerging adulthood: Predictions from parenting and personality in adolescence

In this person-centered study, we identified different profiles of resilience and vulnerability in emerging adulthood in response to previously experienced stressful life events. Additionally, we examined whether mothers' and fathers' parenting and participants' personality traits in adolescence predicted these profiles. Data from the Flemish Study on Parenting, Personality, and Development (N = 346 families) were used. At T1 (2004; Mage = 11 years), T2 (2007), and T3 (2009), mothers and fathers reported on their parenting and their child's personality. At T4 (2018; Mage = 25 years), emerging adults retrospectively self-reported the occurrence and impact of 22 stressful life events and rated current behavior problems and subjective well-being. Latent profile analysis revealed three profiles: Competent (71%; low stress, low behavior problems, high subjective well-being), Vulnerable (21%; average stress, high behavior problems, low subjective well-being), and Resilient (9%; high stress, average behavior problems, average subjective well-being). Emerging adults in the Resilient profile had experienced higher levels of maternal positive parenting and were less emotionally stable and conscientious than those in the Competent profile. Furthermore, emerging adults in the Vulnerable profile were less emotionally stable than their peers in the Competent profile. These findings reveal new insights into the heterogeneous patterns of emerging adults' adaptation following stressful life events.

Reciprocal longitudinal associations of supportive workplace relationships with depressive symptoms and self-rated health: A study of Korean women

BACKGROUND

Supportive relationships in the workplace are important determinants of an individual's psychological health, buffering work stress. This study aimed to estimate the bidirectional association of workplace relationships with depressive symptoms and self-rated health in female workers.

METHODS

Based on the nationally representative biannual survey data from 2014 (T1) to 2020 (T4) (N = 2556), we used a random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) to estimate autoregressive and cross-lagged bidirectional associations between workplace relationships and health variables.

RESULTS

Regarding satisfactory workplace relationships and depressive symptoms, a negative correlation was observed at the between-person level. At the within-person level, the cross-lagged path showed that an increase in satisfaction with workplace relationships was related to a subsequent decrease in depressive (T1 to T2: β = -0.039; B = -0.253, P = 0.017). Further, an increase in depressive symptoms was related to subsequent relationship deterioration in the workplace (T1 to T2: β = -0.049, B = -0.007, P = 0.003). Regarding workplace relationships and self-rated health, a positive correlation was observed at the between-person level. At the within-person level, there as was no significant within-person level association between WPR and self-rated health. and the effect sizes were small.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests a bidirectional association between workplace relationships and depressive symptoms. Therefore, it is important to implement intervention programs that promote workplace interpersonal relationships and workers' mental health.

Prevalence and predictors of mental distress among Italian Red Cross auxiliary corps: A cross-sectional evaluation after deployment in anti-COVID-19 operations

The aim of the present study is to describe the prevalence and individual predictors of mental distress (anxiety, depression, and burnout) in a sample of volunteers engaged in emergency services. A total of 823 volunteers enrolled in the Red Cross auxiliary corps were surveyed between 28 June 2021 and 28 August 2021 (299 men and 524 women). After deployment in anti-COVID-19 operations, participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Big Five Inventory through an online platform. A moderately severe risk of depression was found in 1.70% of the sample. A severe risk for anxiety disorders was found in 1.82%. A high risk for emotional exhaustion was found in 3.40%, depersonalization in 12.88%, and low personal accomplishment in 7.53%. Women showed a higher risk of both depression and anxiety in comparison to males. Personality factors were significant predictors for all dimensions. In contrast to the current literature, openness was found to be a predisposing personality factor in developing burnout dimensions. The relevance of the current findings for the development of effective screening tools before the deployment of reserve forces during medical crises is discussed.

The association of adverse reactions and depression in cervical cancer patients treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy: moderated mediation models

Objective

Several studies reported that adverse reactions to treatment, neuroticism, marital relations, and quality of life may impact the development of depression in cervical cancer patients treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, but the associations between them remained unclear. This study investigated the associations between these factors using moderated mediation models.

Methods

Data were extracted from a survey involving cervical cancer patients treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy at five tertiary hospitals in Hubei Province, China, from June to December 2022. The SPSS-PROCESS program was used to develop a moderated mediation model to study the roles of neuroticism, quality of life, and marital relations in the association between adverse reactions and depression in the study population.

Results

A total of 802 cervical cancer patients treated with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy (54.84 ± 9.68 years) were recruited. The prevalence of depression among these patients was 72.72%, with four symptom clusters of dizziness-ringing in the ears, digestive system-related symptoms, skin dryness and itching, and urinary frequency-urgency-leakage. Adverse reactions directly and positively affected the occurrence of depression, neuroticism mediated the association between adverse reactions and depression, while this association varied according to the quality of life and marital relations.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that depression is common among cervical cancer patients receiving radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Intervention targets for depression in cervical cancer patients should be precisely selected and targeted according to the quality of life and marital relations differences in patients, taking into account the cost of the intervention and the benefit to the patient.

Emotional cherry picking: the role of personality and goal orientation in selective emotion regulation for musical practice

Introduction

Emotion regulation is an important part of optimising performance and successful goal pursuit in practice-based tasks such as making music. Musicians may regulate their own emotions during the course of their musical practice in order to improve their performance and ultimately attain their practice-related goals. The specific emotions they target may depend upon their personality traits but may also relate to the nature of their goal orientation, and the interaction between the two. This study investigates whether the emotions desired by musicians in their musical practice were dependent on their personality traits and Mastery goal orientation (the desire to master musical and technical skills).

Methods

Via an online questionnaire, 421 musicians completed a personality scale and answered questions relating to their mastery practice goals. They also completed emotion scales indicating how strongly they desired to increase or decrease the intensity of specific emotions when practicing.

Results

Overall, musicians preferred to up-regulate positive rather than negative emotions [paired t(420) = 58.13, p < 0.001]. Bayesian Mixed Effects models showed that personality traits affected musicians' desire to regulate specific emotions. For example, higher levels of Agreeableness predicted greater desire to increase positive but not negative emotions, whereas Extraversion predicted greater desire to increase anger [Est. = 0.05, SE = 0.03, Odds (Est. > 0) = 43.03] but not positive emotions. The inclusion of Mastery goal orientation either amplified or mitigated these effects in several cases, and also introduced new trait-emotion relationships. Findings confirm a general hedonic principle underlying the emotions musicians desired in their musical practice. However, predicted by personality traits, musicians also sometimes sought to increase the intensity of unpleasant emotions.

Discussion

These findings complement existing research that suggests that some Mastery-oriented musicians may seek an emotional state consisting of both positive and negative emotions. This and future studies on this topic may contribute to a better understanding of individual differences in emotion regulation ability as a potential aspect of individualised musical practice strategies.

Neuroticism mediates the association between childhood abuse and the well-being of community dwelling adult volunteers

BACKGROUND

Previous studies reported that the experience of maltreatment in childhood reduces subjective well-being in adulthood and that neuroticism is negatively associated with subjective well-being. However, the interrelationship between childhood maltreatment, adult life events, neuroticism, and subjective well-being has not been analyzed to date.

METHODS

A total of 404 adult volunteers provided responses to the following questionnaires: 1) Childhood Abuse and Trauma Scale, 2) Life Experiences Survey, 3) Neuroticism Subscale of the Shortened Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised, and 4) Subjective Well-Being Inventory. The path model was used to analyze possible interrelationships among these parameters.

RESULTS

The effect of childhood abuse on subjective well-being was indirect and was mediated by neuroticism. The effect of neuroticism on the negative, but not positive, change score on the Life Experiences Survey was significant. The indirect effect of neuroticism on subjective well-being was not significant via either negative or positive change scores.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that age, subjective social status, neuroticism, and negative and positive life events were significantly associated with subjective well-being. Furthermore, using path analysis, we demonstrated the mediating role of neuroticism in the indirect effect of childhood abuse on subjective well-being.

Psychiatric and psychological assessment of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy and psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) with no response to previous treatments

OBJECTIVE

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES) are common imitators of epileptic seizures. Refractoriness to antiseizure medication hinders the differential diagnosis between ES and PNES, carrying deleterious consequences in patients with PNES. Psychiatric and psychological characteristics may assist in the differential diagnosis between drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) and PNES. Nevertheless, current comprehensive psychiatric and psychological descriptive studies on both patient groups are scarce and with several study limitations. This study provides a comprehensive psychiatric and psychological characterization of Spanish patients with DRE and PNES.

METHOD

A cross-sectional and comparative study was completed with 104 patients with DRE and 21 with PNES. Psychiatric and psychological characteristics were assessed with the HADS, SCL-90-R, NEO-FFI-R, PDQ-4+, COPE, and QOLIE-31 tests. Parametric and non-parametric tests were used, and regression models were fit to further explore factors affecting patients' life quality.

RESULTS

Patients with PNES had greater levels of somatization and extraversion and were associated with benzodiazepine intake. Patients with DRE showed greater narcissistic personality disorder symptoms than those with PNES. In patients with DRE, difficulty in performing basic needs-related tasks and greater psychological distress severity and seizure frequency were associated with poorer life quality. In contrast, being a woman, having a psychiatric disorder history, and greater psychiatric symptoms' intensity were associated with poorer life quality in patients with PNES.

CONCLUSION

Patients with DRE and PNES share similar psychiatric and psychological characteristics, with only very few being significantly different.

Mediator role of resilience in the relationship between neuroticism and psychological symptoms: COVID-19 Pandemic and supermarket employees

The current research aimed to examine the relationship between personality traits, resilience, and psychological symptom levels of front-line supermarket employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three-hundred and ten (310) supermarket employees participated in the research between March and May 2021. Participants filled out the questionnaire sets online The Demographic Information Form, Symptom Checklist, Five Factor Inventory and Resilience Scale for Adults were presented as questionnaire sets. Pearson Correlation Analyses were conducted to determine the relationships between variables, Multiple Regression and mediation analyses were conducted to discover the predictors of symptom level. It was found that personality traits, resilience and psychological symptom levels are related to each other. Conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness and resilience are significant predictors of psychological symptom level. In addition, resilience plays a mediating role in the relationship between neuroticism and psychological symptom levels. The findings were discussed within the framework of the relevant literature and COVID-19 research findings.

Defining the p-factor: an empirical test of five leading theories

BACKGROUND

Despite statistical evidence of a general factor of psychopathology (i.e., p-factor), there is little agreement about what the p-factor represents. Researchers have proposed five theories: dispositional negative emotionality (neuroticism), impulsive responsivity to emotions (impulsivity), thought dysfunction, low cognitive functioning, and impairment. These theories have primarily been inferred from patterns of loadings of diagnoses on p-factors with different sets of diagnoses included in different studies. Researchers who have directly examined these theories of p have examined a subset of the theories in any single sample, limiting the ability to compare the size of their associations with a p-factor.

METHODS

In a sample of adults (N = 1833, Mage = 34.20, 54.4% female, 53.3% white) who completed diagnostic assessments, self-report measures, and cognitive tests, we evaluated statistical p-factor structures across modeling approaches and compared the strength of associations among the p-factor and indicators of each of these five theories.

RESULTS

We found consistent evidence of the p-factor's unidimensionality across one-factor and bifactor models. The p-factor was most strongly and similarly associated with neuroticism (r = .88), impairment (r = .88), and impulsivity (r = .87), χ2(1)s < .15, ps > .70, and less strongly associated with thought dysfunction (r = .78), χ2(1)s > 3.92, ps < .05, and cognitive functioning (r = -.25), χ2(1)s > 189.56, ps < .01.

CONCLUSIONS

We discuss a tripartite definition of p that involves the transaction of impulsive responses to frequent negative emotions leading to impairment that extends and synthesizes previous theories of psychopathology.

Emotion-related impulsivity moderates the role of arousal on reflection impulsivity

Emotion-related impulsivity is an important behavioural phenotype in clinical psychology and public health. Here, we test the hypothesis that emotion-related impulsivity moderates the effects of arousal on cognition using pharmacological manipulation. Participants completed a measure of emotion-related impulsivity, four cognitive tasks tapping onto different facets of impulsive behaviours, and a blinded arousal manipulation using yohimbine hydrochloride, which acts on noradrenergic receptors. Our findings suggest that emotion-related impulsivity moderates the role of arousal on impulsive performance on the Information Sampling Task. As expected, more severe emotion-related impulsivity was related to more impulsive decisions in the yohimbine but not in the placebo group. Results provide some of the first experimental evidence that emotion-related impulsivity is related to differential behavioural responses in the face of high arousal. Despite this preliminary support, we discuss findings for one task that did not fit hypotheses, and provide suggestions for replication and extension.

The effects of adverse childhood experiences on depression and suicidal behaviors are partially mediated by neuroticism: A subclinical manifestation of major depression

Introduction

Neuroticism, a personality trait, can predict major depressive disorder (MDD). The current study aims to determine whether a) neuroticism is a feature of the acute state of MDD, including suicidal behaviors (SB); and b) adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with neuroticism in MDD.

Methods

This study included 133 participants, 67 healthy controls and 66 MDD patients, and assessed the Big 5 Inventory (BFI), ACEs using the ACE Questionnaire, and the phenome of depression using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) scores to assess current SB.

Results

Neuroticism was significantly higher in MDD than controls, and it explained 64.9% of the variance in the depression phenome (a latent vector extracted from HAM-D, BDI, STAI, and current SB scores). The other BFI domains had much less (extraversion, agreeableness) or no effect (openness, conscientiousness). One latent vector could be extracted from the phenome, lifetime dysthymia, lifetime anxiety disorders and neuroticism scores. Neglect (physical and emotional) and abuse (physical, neglect and sexual) account for approximately 30% of the variance in this latent vector. Partial Least Squares analysis showed that the effects of neglect on the phenome were partially mediated by neuroticism, whereas the effects of abuse were completely mediated by neuroticism.

Discussion

Neuroticism (trait) and the MDD phenome (state) are both manifestations of the same latent core, with neuroticism being a subclinical manifestation of MDD.

The associations between personality traits and mental health in people with and without asthma

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the current study is to investigate the associations between personality traits associated with mental health in people with asthma and compare it with people without asthma.

METHODS

Data came from UKHLS with 3929 patients with asthma with a mean age of 49.19 (S.D. = 15.23) years old (40.09 % males) and 22,889 healthy controls (42.90 % males) with a mean age of 45.60 (S.D. = 17.23) years old. First, the current study investigated the difference in Big Five personality traits and mental health between people with and without asthma using a predictive normative modeling approach with one-sample t-tests. Second, a hierarchical regression accompanied by two multiple regressions was used to determine how personality traits may relate to people with and without asthma differently.

RESULTS

The current study found asthma patients have significantly higher Neuroticism, higher Openness, lower Conscientiousness, higher Extroversion, and worse mental health. Asthma status significantly moderated the association between Neuroticism and mental health with this relationship being stronger in people with asthma. Moreover, Neuroticism was positively related to worse mental health and Conscientiousness and Extraversion were negatively associated with worse mental health in people with and without asthma. However, Openness was negatively associated with worse mental health in people without asthma but not in people with asthma.

LIMITATIONS

The limitations of the current study include cross-sectional designs, self-reported measured, and limited generalizability to other countries.

CONCLUSION

Clinicians and health professionals should use findings from the current study to come up with prevention and interaction programs that promote mental health based on personality traits in asthma patients.

Intolerance to uncertainty and self-efficacy as mediators between personality traits and adjustment disorder in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic

In April 2020, early in the COVID-19 outbreak, governments restricted public gatherings and ordered social distancing. These demands led to challenging adaptations, which in some cases resulted in mental health issues, including adjustment disorder. Guided by the transactional stress model, the current study aimed to examine the relations between personality traits and adjustment disorder in crisis situations and vagueness and the role of intolerance to uncertainty and self-efficacy in these relations. During Israel's first lockdown, 673 Israeli adults completed self-reported e-version questionnaires regarding Big Five personality traits, adjustment disorder, intolerance to uncertainty, self-efficacy, and background variables. The study was designed to examine the association between personality traits and adjustment disorder and the potential mediation of intolerance to uncertainty and self-efficacy in associations. The findings revealed that intolerance to uncertainty and self-efficacy mediated the association between personality traits and adjustment disorder. The results are consistent with the transactional stress model. They shed light on the role of intolerance to uncertainty and self-efficacy as cognitive mechanisms that promote the development of adjustment disorder. Recommendations for future studies and practice are discussed.

Mediating role of personality traits in the association between multi-dimensional adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms among older adults: A 9-year prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

To explore the mediating role of personality traits in the correlation between multi-dimensional adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and depressive symptoms in older adults.

METHODS

This cohort study used data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, and included 4050 older adults without depressive symptoms in 2010-2011. Multi-dimensional ACEs were evaluated in 2006-2007. Personality traits were assessed using the Midlife Development Inventory in 2010-2011. Depressive symptoms were measured using the 8-item version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale during 2012-2019. Cox proportional hazard model was used to explore the associations between ACEs and depressive symptoms. The package named "mediation" in R was used to test mediating role of personality traits.

RESULTS

ACEs in each dimension significantly increased the risk of depressive symptoms (all P-values < 0.05). The association of maltreatment (18.18 %) and household dysfunction (19.69 %) with depressive symptoms was significantly mediated by neuroticism. The correlation between poor parent-child bonding and depressive symptoms was significantly mediated by neuroticism (19.43 %), conscientiousness (4.84 %), and extroversion (8.02 %).

LIMITATIONS

ACEs were retrospectively assessed based on participants' memories, which may induce recall bias.

CONCLUSIONS

Maltreatment and household dysfunction may induce depressive symptoms by increasing neuroticism. Poor parent-child bonding may induce depressive symptoms by increasing neuroticism and reducing conscientiousness and extraversion. In addition to reducing the occurrence of ACEs, reducing neuroticism of individuals with maltreatment and household dysfunction in childhood, and reducing neuroticism, and increasing conscientiousness and extraversion of individuals with poor parent-child bonding in childhood might help to decrease their risk of depressive symptoms.

Prostate cancer peer navigation: an observational study on navigators' well-being, benefit finding, and program satisfaction

PURPOSE

The study investigated peer and caregiver navigators' motivations for providing support, i.e., benefit finding, their mental and physical health, and program satisfaction.

METHODS

A web-based peer navigation program was conducted for prostate cancer patients and caregivers over a 6-month time period. In a one-arm observational study, peer and caregiver navigators were asked to complete standardized mental health (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Cancer Worry Scale), quality of life (EQ-5D-5L, EQ-VAS), and social support (ENRICHD Social Support Instrument) scales pre- and post-intervention and questionnaires addressing motivations, benefits, and program satisfaction post-intervention.

RESULTS

Both peer and caregiver navigators reported very low anxiety and depressive symptoms across time. Cancer worry increased over time with 25% of participants exceeding the symptom threshold at baseline and 33% at follow-up. Quality of life was very high but slightly decreased over time (90.0% vs. 84.4%; p = .005), indicative of a greater number of navigators reporting pain/discomfort at follow-up. Social support was high (86.9% vs. 85.9%) and remained so. Top five role endorsements were (1) a feeling of belonging, (2) being involved in something good, (3) giving back, (4) feeling better as a person, and (5) improved communication skills. Program satisfaction was very high with support from program staff rated highest.

CONCLUSIONS

The study indicates that peer and caregiver navigators exhibited favorable physical and mental health across time. Furthermore, they experienced several benefits from navigation including a sense of meaning and the wish to give back. Results suggest that support provision within the peer and caregiver navigation program has also salutary effects for navigators.

Neuroanatomical Correlates of Emotion-Related Impulsivity

BACKGROUND

Emotion-related impulsivity (ERI) refers to chronically poor self-control during periods of strong emotion. ERI robustly predicts psychiatric disorders and related problems, yet its neuroanatomical correlates are largely unknown. We tested whether local brain morphometry in targeted brain regions that integrate emotion and control could explain ERI severity.

METHODS

One hundred twenty-two adults (ages 18-55 years) with internalizing or externalizing psychopathology completed a structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, the Three-Factor Impulsivity Index, and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5. The Three-Factor Impulsivity Index measures two types of ERI and a third type of impulsivity not linked to emotion. Cortical reconstruction yielded cortical thickness and local gyrification measurements. We evaluated whether morphometry in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), insula, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens was associated with ERI severity. Hypotheses and analyses were preregistered.

RESULTS

Lower cortical gyrification in the right lateral OFC was associated with high ERI severity in a full, preregistered model. Separate examinations of local gyrification and cortical thickness also showed a positive association between gyrification in the left lateral OFC and ERI. An integrated measure of hemispheric imbalance in lateral OFC gyrification (right < left) correlated with ERI severity. These findings were specific to ERI and did not appear with non-emotion-related impulsivity.

CONCLUSIONS

Local gyrification in the lateral OFC is associated with ERI severity. The current findings fit with existing theories of OFC function, strengthen the connections between the transdiagnostic literature in psychiatry and neuroscience, and may guide future treatment development.

Emotion-related impulsivity and risky decision-making: A systematic review and meta-regression

Emotion-related impulsivity, the trait-like tendency toward regrettable behavior during states of high emotion, is a robust predictor of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Despite substantial evidence that emotion-related impulsivity is important transdiagnostically, relatively little is known about its cognitive correlates. This systematic review and meta-regression investigates one such candidate, risky decision-making. We analyzed 195 effect sizes from 51 studies of 14,957 total participants, including 105 newly calculated effect sizes that were not reported in the original publications. The meta-regression demonstrated evidence for a small, positive relationship of emotion-related impulsivity with behavioral indices of risky decision-making (ß = 0.086). Effects generalized across sample age, gender, Positive versus Negative Urgency, and clinical versus nonclinical samples. The average effect size varied by task type, with stronger effects for the Iowa Gambling Task and Delay Discounting Task. Experimental arousal manipulation was nearly a significant moderator, with stress and pharmacological manipulations yielding significant effect sizes. Analyses indicated that publication bias did not skew the current findings. Notwithstanding limitations, the data suggest that risky decision-making is a cognitive domain that relates to emotion-related impulsivity. We conclude with recommendations regarding the specific types of tasks and arousal inductions that will best capture emotion-related impulsivity in future experimental research.

Associations Between Personality and Depressive Symptoms in an Adolescent Clinical Population: Consideration of Personality Stability

The study used trait-state-occasion TSO models to explore longitudinal personality stability in young adolescents with the onset of depressive symptoms and to quantify time-invariant and time-varying personality components in predicting the course of depressive symptoms. A total of 326 young clinical adolescents were recruited from high schools, and only 290 adolescents (112 boys; 178 girls) were followed up for 4 time points. Personality measures were implemented twice each year with an interval of 6 months, providing four assessment waves (T1 to T4); depression measures were administered at the initial stage (T1) and the third wave (T3), respectively. The results showed that five domains of personality in adolescents with depressive symptoms were largely characterized by the stable trait factor (65%-81%). The average autoregressive effects across the four waves were significant for all Big Five personality domains except openness. Moreover, excluding time-varying variance, conscientiousness, extraversion and agreeableness were negatively associated with T1 depressive symptoms; however, only the latter two domains retained significant relationships in the second year of intervention. An elevated level of neuroticism was consistently associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms over interventions. Trait factors of extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism were associated with depressive symptoms in early adolsecnets, providing some implications for clinical practitioners.

Personality characteristics, defense styles, borderline symptoms, and non-suicidal self-injury in first-episode major depressive disorder

Background

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is commonly seen in adolescents with depression and is a high-risk factor leading to suicide. The psychological mechanisms underlying depression with NSSI are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the differences in personality traits, defensive styles, and borderline symptoms among first-episode youth patients with depression and self-injury compared with patients with depression without self-injury and healthy populations.

Methods

The current study recruited 188 participants, including 64 patients with depression and NSSI, 60 patients with depression without NSSI, and 64 healthy control subjects. Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, the Defense Style Questionnaire, the short version of the Borderline Symptom List, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Ottawa Self-Injury Inventory were used to assess all participants.

Results

Patients with depression and NSSI showed more psychoticism than patients with depression without NSSI and healthy control subjects. Patients with depression and NSSI presented more intermediate defense styles than healthy control subjects. In the patients with depression and NSSI group, the frequency of self-injury in the last week was negatively correlated with mature defense styles and positively correlated with depressive symptoms and borderline symptoms. Further regression analysis showed that EPQ-psychoticism and depressive symptoms were independent risk factors for NSSI in patients with depression.

Conclusion

This study found that patients with depression and self-injury presented more neuroticism, introversion, EPQ-psychoticism, immature defenses, intermediate defenses, and borderline symptoms. Self-injury frequency was negatively correlated with mature defense styles and positively correlated with depressive symptoms and borderline symptoms. EPQ-Psychoticism and depressive symptoms are risk factors for predicting non-suicidal self-injury in patients with depression.

Association Between Neuroticism and Dementia on Healthcare Use: A Multi-Level Analysis Across 27 Countries from The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE)

BACKGROUND

People with high levels of neuroticism are greater users of health services. Similarly, people with dementia have a higher risk of hospitalization and medical visits. As a result, dementia and a high level of neuroticism increase healthcare use (HCU). However, how these joint factors impact the HCU at the population level is unknown. Similarly, no previous study has assessed the degree of generalization of such impacts, considering relevant variables including age, gender, socioeconomic, and country-level variability.

OBJECTIVE

To examine how neuroticism and dementia interact in the HCU.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 76,561 people (2.4% with dementia) from 27 European countries and Israel. Data were analyzed with six steps multilevel non-binomial regression modeling, a statistical method that accounts for correlation in the data taken within the same participant.

RESULTS

Both dementia (Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR): 1.537; α= 0.000) and neuroticism (IRR: 1.122; α= 0.000) increased the HCU. The effect of having dementia and the level of neuroticism increased the HCU: around 53.67% for the case of having dementia, and 12.05% for each increment in the level of neuroticism. Conversely, high levels of neuroticism in dementia decreased HCU (IRR: 0.962; α= 0.073). These results remained robust when controlling for age, gender, socioeconomic, and country-levels effects.

CONCLUSION

Contrary to previous findings, neuroticism trait in people with dementia decreases the HCU across sociodemographic, socioeconomic, and country heterogeneity. These results, which take into account this personality trait among people with dementia, are relevant for the planning of health and social services.

Pilot mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: prevalence rates from semi-structured interviews, and associated vulnerability and protective factors

Introduction

Pilots are a unique occupational group who perform a specialised job and face significant stressors. Pilot mental health has received increased attention since Germanwings Flight 9525; however, this research has largely focused on general anxiety, depression, and suicide and relied on a questionnaire-based methodology. This approach is likely to miss various mental health issues that may affect pilot wellbeing, leaving the prevalence of mental health issues in aviation unclear. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have a particular impact on the mental health and wellbeing of pilots, who experienced the devastating effect of COVID-19 on the industry.

Method

In the present study, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of 73 commercial pilots during the COVID-19 pandemic, using the DIAMOND semi-structured diagnostic interview and explored possible associated vulnerability and protective factors, including life event stressors, personality, passion, lifestyle factors, and coping strategies.

Results

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on aviation during the time of this study, affecting 95% of participants. The diagnostic results revealed over one third of pilots had symptoms of a diagnoseable mental health disorder. Anxiety disorders were the most commonly found disorders, followed by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Adjustment Disorder, and Depressive Disorders. Pilots' high life event scores placed them at an increased risk for the development of stress-related illness, though did not explain which pilots had mental health difficulties in this study. Regression analysis supported a diathesis-stress model for pilot mental health, with disagreeableness and obsessive passion contributing to pilots' development of mental health issues, and nutrition as the most important protective factor.

Discussion

This study, though limited to the COVID-19 pandemic, provides a valuable precedent for a more thorough assessment of pilot mental health, and contributes to the broader understanding of pilot mental health, including suggestions to target factors associated with the development of mental health issues.

Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Kişilik Özellikleri, Üstbiliş, İnternet Kullanım Fonksiyonu ve Problemli İnternet Kullanım Özelliklerinin İncelenmesi

Üniversite öğrencilerinin problemli internet kullanımı ile ilişkili olabilecek faktörlerin incelenmesinin ve olası risk durumlarının belirlenmesinin önemli olduğu düşünülmektedir. Üniversite dönemi, bireylerin ebeveyn kontrolünden uzaklaşıp kendi kararlarını vermeye ve hayatlarına yön vermeye başladıkları kritik bir dönemdir. Sorunlu internet kullanımı ile cinsiyet, psikiyatrik tanı, üstbilişsel inançlar ve kişilik arasındaki ilişki gösterilmiş olmasına rağmen, mevcut araştırma sayısı sınırlıdır ve bulgular çelişkilidir. Ayrıca internet kullanım süresinin ve amacının yer aldığı ve tüm bu değişkenlerin birlikte incelendiği herhangi bir çalışmaya rastlanmamıştır. Bu çalışmada, üniversite öğrencilerinin kişilik özelliklerini, üstbilişsel inançlarını, internet kullanım işlevlerini ve problemli internet kullanımlarını tanı, cinsiyet ve internet kullanım süreleri açısından incelemek amaçlanmıştır. Veriler yaş ortalamaları 20.11 olan 696 üniversite öğrencisinden toplanmıştır. Araştırmada, betimsel ve parametrik olmayan bağımsız gruplar karşılaştırma analizleri kullanılmıştır (Mann Whitney U Testi ve Kruskal-Wallis Testi). Bu çalışmada, Beş Faktör Kişilik Özellikleri Ölçeği (BFKÖ), Üstbiliş Ölçeği-30 (ÜÖ-30), İnternet Kullanım Fonksiyonları Ölçeği (İKFÖ), İnternette Bilişsel Durum Ölçeği (İBDÖ) ve Demografik Bilgi Formu kullanılmıştır. Analiz sonuçlarına göre, kadınların vicdanlılık ve nevrotizm alt ölçeği puanları daha yüksek bulunmuştur. Analiz sonuçları tanıya göre önemli bir fark olduğunu göstermiştir. Psikiyatrik tanısı olan grubun ölçek puanlarının, nevrotizm, açıklık, kontrol edilemezlik ve tehlike, bilişsel güven eksikliği, ÜÖ-30 toplam puanı ve bilgi işlevleri alt boyutlarında daha yüksek olduğu görülmüştür. Nevrotizm, kontrol edilemezlik ve tehlike, sosyal işlevler, sanal duygusal işlevler, sosyal rahatlık, yalnızlık/depresyon, dürtüde azalma, dikkat dağınıklığı ve İBDÖ toplam puanı alt boyut puanlarının internet kullanım süresi ile doğru orantılı olarak arttığı görülmüştür.

The Relationship Between Patients' Personality Traits, the Alliance, and Change in Interpersonal Distress in Intensive Group Treatment for Personality Dysfunction

This study examined patients' personality traits as operationalized by the five-factor model in relation to early alliance and reduction of interpersonal distress through an intensive group treatment program for personality dysfunction. A sample of 79 consecutively admitted psychiatric outpatients with personality dysfunction who attended an 18-week intensive group treatment program completed the NEO Five-Factor Inventory at pretreatment, the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems at pre- and posttreatment, and the Edmonton Therapeutic Alliance Scale, a measure of the therapeutic alliance with the program therapist, at Session 5. Results indicated that patients who were relatively extraverted tended to rate the alliance with their program therapist higher and subsequently reported more improvement of interpersonal distress. The presence of a personality disorder did not moderate this mediation. Patients' extraversion likely promotes a bonding with the therapist and facilitates the interpersonal group work necessary for improvement. Assessing patients' level of extraversion before starting intensive group treatment might indicate which intervention strategies could be useful with that patient within the program frame.

Neuroticism and adverse life events are important determinants in functional somatic disorders: the DanFunD study

Several psychological factors have been proposed to be associated with functional somatic disorders (FSD). However, large population-based studies investigating the importance of both personality and adverse life events (ALE) are sparse. This study aimed to investigate the association between FSD and neuroticism and the accumulated number of ALE, respectively. This cross-sectional study included a random sample of the adult Danish population (N = 7493). FSD were established by means of self-reported questionnaires and diagnostic interviews. Neuroticism was measured with the Danish version of the short-form NEO Personality Inventory. ALE were measured with the Danish version of the Cumulative Lifetime Adversity Measure. Strong positive associations were found between neuroticism and FSD, and ALE and questionnaire-based FSD. For interview-based FSD, strong positive associations were found for FSD, multi-organ type, and for the subtype of the general symptoms. The level of self-efficacy did not modify these associations, and no moderating effect of neuroticism and ALE in combination on the probability of having FSD was found. FSD were strongly associated with both neuroticism and the accumulated number of ALE, and these associations were not modified by self-efficacy. In combination, neuroticism and ALE did not have a moderating effect on the probability of having FSD.

The Big Five personality traits and the fear of COVID-19 in predicting depression and anxiety among Japanese nurses caring for COVID-19 patients: A cross-sectional study in Wakayama prefecture

Recent studies have found a relationship between fear of COVID-19 and mental health problems. Medical workers caring for COVID-19 patients tend to suffer from mental health problems; however, the impact of their personality traits, in the form of mental problems like depression and anxiety in Japan is unclear. In this study, we investigated the risk of nurses' depression and anxiety, predicted by the fear of COVID-19 and the Big Five personality traits. A total of 417 nurses working in hospitals providing care to COVID-19 patients in Wakayama prefecture of the Kansai region participated in this study. The questionnaires comprised items on nurses' basic characteristics and three scales: the Fear of COVID-19 Scale 2020, the Big-Five Scale, and the Japanese version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Depression and anxiety in the HADS were set as dependent variables, and basic attributes, fear, and personality traits as independent variables; multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted. The questionnaire, with no missing items was distributed from February to March 2021. Neuroticism (OR = 1.06, 95%CI = 1.03-1.09) was the only significant factor associated with the depression symptom, and both FCV-19S scores (OR = 1.16, 95%CI = 1.09-1.23) and neuroticism (OR = 1.09, 95%CI = 1.06-1.13) were the significant factors associated with anxiety. The Nagelkerke's R squared was 0.171 in the depression model and 0.366 in the anxiety model. Thus, it was found that it is necessary to support nurses' mental health by developing methods suitable to their personalities.

Personality Traits Predict Non-Substance Related and Substance Related Addictive Behaviours

Abstract: Aims: To examine whether personality traits predict the course of addictive behaviours in general and whether predictive associations differ between non-substance related (NR) and substance related (SR) addictive behaviours. Methodology: We recruited 338 individuals (19–27 y, 59 % female) from a random community sample with NR, SR, or no DSM-5 addictive disorder. Predictors were the Big Five personality traits (NEO-FFI) and reward and punishment sensitivity (BIS/BAS questionnaire). Outcomes were the slopes of addictive behaviours (i. e., quantity, frequency, and number of DSM-5 criteria) over three years. Bayesian multiple regressions were used to analyse the probabilities for each hypothesis. Results: The evidence that higher neuroticism, lower conscientiousness, lower agreeableness, higher extraversion, lower openness, higher reward sensitivity, and lower punishment sensitivity predict increased addictive behaviours over time was, overall, moderate to high (69 % to 99 %) and varied by trait and outcome. Predictive associations were mostly higher for NR compared with SR addictive behaviours. Conclusions: Personality traits predict the course of addictive behaviours, but associations were only about half as large as expected. While some personality traits, such as lower conscientiousness, predict increases in both NR and SR addictive behaviours over time, others, such as lower punishment sensitivity, seem to specifically predict increases in NR addictive behaviours.

Prognostic Value of Pathological Personality Traits for Treatment Outcome in Anxiety and Depressive Disorders: The Leiden Routine Outcome Monitoring Study

ABSTRACT

Previous studies have failed to take baseline severity into account when assessing the effects of pathological personality traits (PPT) on treatment outcome. This study assessed the prognostic value of PPT (Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology-Short Form) on treatment outcome (Brief Symptom Inventory [BSI-posttreatment]) among patients with depressive and/or anxiety disorders ( N = 5689). Baseline symptom level (BSI-pretreatment) was taken into account as a mediator or moderator variable. Results showed significant effects of PPT on outcome, of which Emotional Dysregulation demonstrated the largest association ( β = 0.43, p < 0.001). When including baseline BSI score as a mediator variable, a direct effect ( β = 0.11, p < 0.001) remained approximately one-third of the total effect. The effects of Emotional Dysregulation (interaction effect β = 0.061, p < 0.001) and Inhibition (interaction effect β = 0.062, p < 0.001), but not Compulsivity or Dissocial Behavior, were moderated by the baseline symptom level. PPT predicts higher symptom levels, both before and after treatment, but yields relatively small direct effects on symptom decline when the effect of pretreatment severity is taken into account.

The Mediating Role of Extra-family Social Relationship Between Personality and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Adults

Objectives: This study aims to explore the associations of personality traits and extra-family social relationship with depressive symptoms among Chinese adults.

Methods: A nationally representative sample of 29,810 adults aged 16 and above were selected from 2018 CFPS. Personality and depressive symptoms were measured using CBF-PI-15 and the CES-D8 scale. Extra-family social relationship was assessed through the self-rated evaluation. The multiple regression analysis and the PROCESS macro were used for the mediation analysis.

Results: Extraversion (OR = 0.807, 95% CI = 0.773, 0.842), agreeableness (OR = 0.795, 95% CI = 0.756, 0.835) and extra-family social relationship (OR = 0.927, 95% CI = 0.913, 0.941) had negative associations with depressive symptoms. Extra-family social relationship could mediate between extraversion and depressive symptoms (Indirect effect = −0.049,95% CI = −0.060, −0.039) as well as agreeableness (Indirect effect = −0.056, 95% CI = −0.068, −0.046) and depressive symptoms. Comparing to females, the indirect effect accounts for a higher proportion of total effect in males.

Conclusion: Extra-family social relationship might mediate the association between extraversion and depressive symptoms as well as agreeableness and depressive symptoms.

Personality traits and hardiness as risk- and protective factors for mental distress during the COVID-19 pandemic: a Norwegian two-wave study

BACKGROUND

Several risk factors for anxious-depressive symptomatology during the COVID-19 pandemic have been established. However, few studies have examined the relationship between personality traits, hardiness, and such symptomatology during the pandemic. These constructs might serve as risk- and/or protective factors for such mental distress through the pandemic.

METHODS

A sample of 5783 Norwegians responded to a survey at two time points within the first year of the pandemic. The first data collection was in April 2020 (T1) and the second in December 2020 (T2). Measures included the Ten-Item Personality-Inventory, the Revised Norwegian Dispositional Resilience Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety and Depression Scale. Analyses were performed using Pearson's correlations, multiple linear regression, and a moderation analysis.

RESULTS

Anxious-depressive symptomatology in early phases (T1) of the pandemic was the strongest predictor for the presence of such symptomatology 9 months after the outbreak (T2). Personality and hardiness correlated significantly with mental distress at T1 and T2. Personality traits explained 5% variance in symptoms when controlling for age, gender, solitary living, negative economic impact, and mental distress at baseline. Higher neuroticism predicted higher mental distress, whereas higher conscientiousness and extraversion predicted less mental distress. Hardiness did not explain variance in outcome beyond personality traits. Hardiness did not significantly moderate the relationship between neuroticism and mental distress.

CONCLUSION

Individuals with high levels of neuroticism had greater difficulties adapting to the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and were more prone to mental distress. Contrastingly, higher conscientiousness and extraversion may have served as protective factors for mental distress during the pandemic. The current findings might aid identification of vulnerable individuals and groups. Consequently, preventive interventions could be offered to those who need it the most.

Psychiatric and Psychosocial Characteristics of a Cohort of Spanish Individuals Attending Genetic Counseling Due to Risk for Genetically Conditioned Dementia

Background:

Predictive genetic tests are presently effective over several medical conditions, increasing the demand among patients and healthy individuals. Considering the psychological burden suspected familial dementia may carry on individuals, assessing personality, coping strategies, and mental health could aid clinicians in findings the appropriate time for delivering genetic test results and predict compliance regarding genetic counseling and expectations towards the genetic condition depending on the outcome.

Objective:

To describe the psychiatric, psychological, and coping characteristics of a sample of Spanish individuals at risk of familial dementia before genetic test results were given.

Methods:

We included 54 first degree relatives of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, lobar frontotemporal degeneration, or prion diseases. The NEO-FFI-R, COPE, and HADS tests evaluated personality, coping strategies, and psychological distress, respectively.

Results:

Anxiety and depression were below the cut-off point for mild severity. Conscientiousness and Agreeableness were the most preponderant personality factors, while Neuroticism was the least. Positive reinterpretation and Acceptance were the most frequent coping strategies, and Denial and Alcohol and drug use were the least used. Ongoing medical pathologies increased depression, while psychiatric disorders worsened psychological distress.

Conclusion:

Contrary to our expectations, PICOGEN candidates showed psychological distress and personality traits within normative ranges, and the use of problem-focused coping strategies prevailed over avoidance coping strategies. Nevertheless, clinicians should pay particular attention to individuals attending genetic counseling who are women, aged, and present an ongoing psychiatric disorder and psychiatric history at inclusion to ensure their mental health and adherence throughout the process.

Being a parent, emotional stability, and adjustment disorder symptoms in the face of COVID-19

Objective

The current study examines the correlation between emotional stability and symptoms related to adjustment to the stresses related to the pandemic for parents and nonparents at the initial stage of the COVID-19 outbreak in Israel.

Background

At the early stage of the COVID-19 outbreak, governments prohibited public gatherings and demanded social distancing. These challenges may be especially difficult for individuals with low levels of emotional stability as adaptation difficulties may lead to stress-related outcomes, such as adjustment disorder symptoms. Additionally, in the face of a significant external threat and the demand for intensive joint familial time at home, the parental role becomes especially salient.

Methods

Two hundred forty-four Israeli adults filled in self-reported e-version questionnaires regarding emotional stability, adjustment disorder symptoms, and background variables. A cross-sectional design was used to examine the association between emotional stability and adjustment disorder symptoms, as well as the potential moderation by parenting status.

Results

The findings revealed that the levels of emotional stability were negatively correlated with adjustment disorder symptoms, while being a parent mitigated this correlation. This correlation was nonsignificant among parents.

Conclusion and Implications

It appears that the identity salience of parental role in the current stressful situation and its associated strain may have overcome the advantage of emotional stability. The identity of being a parent has the potential to dismiss it. Here, the social role emerges as more forcible than the personality trait. Recommendations for practice are discussed.

Why take the risk? Exploring the psychosocial determinants of floodwater driving

As anthropogenic climate change progresses, there is an increasing need for individuals to make appropriate decisions regarding their approach to extreme weather events. Natural hazards are involuntary risk environments (e.g., flooded roads); interaction with them cannot be avoided (i.e., a decision must be made about how to engage). While the psychological and sociocultural predictors of engagement with voluntary risks (i.e., risk situations that are sought out) are well-documented, less is known about the factors that predict engagement with involuntary risk environments. This exploratory study assessed whether mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms), personality traits, and cultural worldviews combine to predict engagement with involuntary risk, using the situation of floodwater driving. An Australian sample (N = 235) was assessed via questionnaire and scenario measures. Results were analyzed in a binomial logistic regression assessing which individual factors predicted decision-making in a proxy floodwater driving scenario. Agreeableness and gender were individually significant predictors of floodwater driving intention, and four factors (named “affect,” “progressiveness,” “insightfulness,” and “purposefulness”) were derived from an exploratory factor analysis using the variables of interest, though only two (“progressiveness” and “insightfulness”) predicted floodwater driving intention in an exploratory binomial logistic regression. The findings highlight the need for further research into the differences between voluntary and involuntary risk. The implication of cultural worldviews and personality traits in interaction with mental health indicators on risk situations is discussed.

Big Five Personality Traits, Social Networks, and Depression Among Older Adults in Japan: A Multiple Mediation Analysis

This study examines the mediating effect of social network size on depression among older adults in Japan in association with the Big Five personality traits: extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness. Cross-sectional data were obtained from 739 older adults (Mean age = 75.13, SD = 6.86) residing in Tokyo. Multiple mediation analyses estimated total, indirect, and direct effects between personality and depression. Extraversion was associated with the number of kin and friend networks and agreeableness with the number of kin networks. Moreover, these social networks partially mediated the effects of extraversion and agreeableness on depression. The findings show that personality traits such as extraversion and agreeableness are associated with social network size, which contributes to better mental health in old age.