Gender and age differences in the associations between personality traits and depressive symptoms among Chinese adults: Based on China Family Panel Study

A network analysis bridging the gap between the big five personality traits and burnout among medical staff

BACKGROUND

Burnout is a common issue among medical professionals, and one of the well-studied predisposing factors is the Big Five personality traits. However, no studies have explored the relationships between these traits and burnout from a trait-to-component perspective. To understand the specific connections between each Big Five trait and burnout components, as well as the bridging effects of each trait on burnout, we employed network analysis.

METHODS

A cluster sampling method was used to select a total of 420 Chinese medical personnel. The 15-item Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory-15 (CBF-PI-15) assessed the Big Five personality traits, while the 15-item Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS) assessed burnout components. Network analysis was used to estimate network structure of Big Five personality traits and burnout components and calculate the bridge expected influence.

RESULTS

The study revealed distinct and clear relationships between the Big Five personality traits and burnout components. For instance, Neuroticism was positively related to Doubt significance and Worthwhile, while Conscientiousness was negatively related to Accomplish all tasks. Among the Big Five traits, Neuroticism displayed the highest positive bridge expected influence, while Conscientiousness displayed the highest negative bridge expected influence.

CONCLUSIONS

The network model provides a means to investigate the connections between the Big Five personality traits and burnout components among medical professionals. This study offers new avenues for thought and potential targets for burnout prevention and treatment in medical personnel, which can be further explored and tested in clinical settings.

Effect of the personality traits of healthy Japanese workers on depressive symptoms and social adaptation, and on the achievement rate of exercise therapy to prevent major depression

Background

This study determined the effects of personality traits on depressive symptoms and social adaptation in healthy workers, and the effects of depressive symptoms or social adaptation before and after exercise therapy, and personality traits before exercise therapy on the achievement rates of exercise therapy aimed at preventing major depression.

Methods

Two hundred fifty healthy Japanese workers were given an eight-week walking program as exercise therapy. After excluding 35 participants who had dropped or provided incomplete information, 215 were included in the analysis. The Japanese version of the NEO five-factor inventory was used to assess participants' personality traits before the exercise therapy. Depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Japanese version of the Zung self-rating depression scale (SDS-J) and social adaptation was evaluated using the Japanese version of the social adaptation self-evaluation scale (SASS-J) before and after the exercise therapy.

Results

The SDS-J scores correlated with neuroticism and negatively correlated with extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness before the exercise therapy. The SDS-J was also negatively correlated with openness in women, but not in men, while the SASS-J was associated with extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, and negatively correlated with neuroticism. There was no significant change in levels of depression before and after exercise therapy; however, social adaptation increased significantly in men. No association was found between SDS-J and SASS-J scores before the exercise therapy and the achievement rate. The achievement rates of exercise therapy were negatively correlated with SDS-J or SASS-J after exercise therapy in women. The SDS-J after exercise therapy was correlated with neuroticism in men and negatively correlated with extraversion in women. The SASS-J after exercise therapy was negatively correlated with neuroticism and correlated with extraversion and openness in men. In contrast, the SASS-J after exercise therapy correlated with openness and agreeableness in women. Conscientiousness was correlated with the achievement rate of exercise therapy in men, but not with the various personality traits in women.

Conclusion

Depressive symptoms and social adaptation were differently associated with personality traits and achievement rates before and after exercise therapy. Conscientiousness before exercise therapy predicted a higher achievement rate for exercise therapy in men.