The Relationship between Personality Traits and COVID-19 Anxiety: A Mediating Model

Anxiety and its relationship to demographic and personality traits data among special operations divers: a cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION

Special operation diving is becoming increasingly prevalent but has received less attention. The anxiety profile in special operation divers and its influencing factors remain unclear, posing great challenges to medical and psychological security of this unique population. The current study aimed to investigate the anxiety profile and to analyse the correlations between anxiety with demographic and personality traits data among special operation divers.

METHODS

From July to October 2023, 650 special operation divers participated this analytical cross-sectional study. The Spielberg's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Five-Factor Inventory were used to evaluate anxiety and personality traits of special operation divers.

RESULTS

27.2% and 30.3% special operation divers showed high scores on state anxiety and trait anxiety, respectively. Special operation divers who are 30 years or older and who have dived for 15 years or more are prone to higher level of trait anxiety and state anxiety (all p<0.001). Neuroticism showed a significantly positive correlation with both trait anxiety (r=0.675, p<0.001) and state anxiety (r=0.674, p<0.001). Extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness are all negatively correlated with both trait anxiety and state anxiety (r=-0.670 to -0.400, all p<0.001). Additionally, significant differences in neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness were observed between the high anxiety group and the low anxiety group (all p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of trait anxiety and state anxiety are both relatively high among special operation divers. Individuals with older age and longer diving years are more prone to be anxious. Higher neuroticism, lower extraversion, lower openness, lower agreeableness and lower conscientiousness may be predictors of higher trait anxiety and higher state anxiety.

The relationship between sleep quality and fear of COVID-19, anxiety, personality traits in working women

BACKGROUND

Disasters such as the COVID-19 pandemic have serious traumatic effects on people, who may experience sleep problems, anxiety, and fear in the face of such a stressor.

OBJECTIVE

This study is conducted to examine the relationship between sleep quality and fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and personality traits in working women.

METHOD

This research was a descriptive study between June to August 2021. The study was conducted with 425 participants. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, COVID-19 Fear Scale, Beck Anxiety Scale, and the revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Short Form were applied to the participants. T-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analysis, were used.

RESULTS

In the study, it was found that the total average score of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale was 18.83±5.5, while the score of sleep quality was 5.40±3.3 and the anxiety score was 14.01±12.4. On the other hand, the score of Extraversion was determined as 3.73±1.7, Neuroticism was 3.79±1.8, and Psychoticism was 1.97±1 in the study. Moreover, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between sleep quality and fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and neuroticism in working women (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep disturbance; daytime dysfunction, use of sleep medication, sleep duration, sleep latency with anxiety; sleep latency, sleep quality, daytime dysfunction, sleep duration were found to be linked to neuroticism, and use of sleep medication and sleep duration were found to be linked to psychoticism. It was concluded that there was a relationship between sleep quality and fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and personality traits in working women.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of neuroticism and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction

In response to the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about mental health, particularly anxiety levels, have become prominent. This study aims to explore the relationship between neuroticism, a personality trait associated with emotional instability, and anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Methods

A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the Cochrane Library, HINARI, Google Scholar, and PUBMED, resulting in the identification of 26 relevant papers. The study protocol has been registered with PROSPERO under the number CRD42023452418. Thorough meta-analysis was performed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis V4 software.

Results

Meta-analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between anxiety and neuroticism, with 26 studies supporting this association (OR = 3.213, 95% CI 2.352 to 4.391). The findings underscore the importance of considering personality traits, particularly neuroticism, in understanding psychological responses to major global crises such as the COVID-19 epidemic.

Discussion

The observed connection between neuroticism and heightened anxiety levels emphasizes the need for targeted interventions, especially for individuals with high levels of neuroticism. Further research into potential therapeutic approaches for mitigating anxiety consequences in the context of a significant global catastrophe is warranted.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/#CRD42023452418.

The interplay of personality traits, anxiety, and depression in Chinese college students: a network analysis

Background

Anxiety and depression are among the greatest contributors to the global burden of diseases. The close associations of personality traits with anxiety and depression have been widely described. However, the common practice of sum scores in previous studies limits the understanding of the fine-grained connections between different personality traits and anxiety and depression symptoms and cannot explore and compare the risk or protective effects of personality traits on anxiety and depression symptoms.

Objective

We aimed to determine the fine-grained connections between different personality traits and anxiety and depression symptoms and identify the detrimental or protective effects of different personality traits on anxiety and depression symptoms.

Methods

A total of 536 college students from China were recruited online, and the average age was 19.98 ± 1.11. The Chinese version of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to investigate the personality traits and symptoms of anxiety and depression of participants after they understood the purpose and filling method of the survey and signed the informed consent. The demographic characteristics were summarized, and the scale scores were calculated. The network model of personality traits and symptoms of anxiety and depression was constructed, and bridge expected influence (BEI) was measured to evaluate the effect of personality traits on anxiety and depression. The edge accuracy and BEI stability were estimated, and the BEI difference and the edge weight difference were tested.

Results

In the network, 29 edges (indicating partial correlations between variables) bridged the personality community and the anxiety and depression community, among which the strongest correlations were extraversion-fatigue, agreeableness-suicidal ideation, conscientiousness-uncontrollable worry, neuroticism-excessive worry, neuroticism-irritability, and openness-feelings of worthlessness. Neuroticism had the highest positive BEI value (0.32), agreeableness had the highest negative BEI value (-0.27), and the BEI values of neuroticism and agreeableness were significantly different from those of most other nodes (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

There are intricate correlations between personality traits and the symptoms of anxiety and depression in college students. Neuroticism was identified as the most crucial risk trait for depression and anxiety symptoms, while agreeableness was the most central protective trait.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women's perinatal mental health and its association with personality traits: An observational study

INTRODUCTION

The burden of perinatal mental health problems was expected to increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. We prospectively investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of pregnant and postpartum women in Norway and explored associations with their sociodemographic characteristics and personality traits.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Sociodemographic information and the self-reported impact of pandemic on wellbeing of pregnant women was collected using an online survey. To assess women's mental health, two validated questionnaires, the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 item Scale (GAD-7), were used prenatally and postnatally. Personality traits were evaluated using HumanGuide, a web-based ipsative psychological evaluation instrument.

RESULTS

772 women were included prenatally, of which 526 also responded to the survey 4-6 weeks postnatally. The median age was 29 years, 53.6% of the women were nulliparous when enrolled, and 35.1% worked in the healthcare sector. The median EPDS (6.0; interquartile range [IQR] 3.0-10.0 vs 6.0; IQR: 3.0-10.0) and the median GAD-7 (5.0; IQR 2.0-9.0 vs 5.0; IQR 2.0-9.0) were similar pre-and postnatally. Prenatally, the proportion of women scoring ≥13 on EPDS and ≥10 on GAD-7 was 14.5% (112/772) and 21.5% (166/772), whereas the postnatal figures were 15.6% (82/526) and 21.5% (113/526), respectively. The differences were not significant (P = 0.59 and P = 0.99). Being <25 years of age, being on pre-pregnancy psychotherapy or psychotropic medication, frequent voluntary isolation, perception of maternity care not proceeding normally, avoiding seeking medical assistance due to fear of infection and having negative economic consequences during the COVID19 pandemic significantly increased the risk of both anxiety (GAD-7 ≥10) and depression (EPDS ≥13). Nullipara had a higher risk of anxiety, whereas being a healthcare worker had a lower risk. The personality trait factors Power (P = 0.008), Quality (P = 0.008), Stability (P < 0.001) and Contacts (P < 0.001) were significant predictors of depression among pregnant women, whereas the Quality (P = 0.005) and Contacts (P = 0.003) were significant predictors of anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

During the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence of depression (EPDS ≥ 13) and anxiety (GAD-7 ≥ 10) was 14.5% and 21.5%, respectively, among Norwegian pregnant women. Certain sociodemographic characteristics and personality traits were significant predictors of depression and anxiety.

The relationship between fear of COVID-19 infection, fear of COVID-19 vaccination and Big Five personality traits: a mediation model

BACKGROUND

The primary objective of our correlational, cross-sectional study was to determine the relationship between fear of COVID-19 infection and fear of COVID-19 vaccination and the role of the Big Five personality traits in this relationship.

PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE

The study sample consisted of 462 participants, including 286 women and 176 men, aged 18 to 75, recruited from the general population. The Big Five personality traits were diagnosed using the Polish version of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory. We used an 11-point numerical rating scale to measure the intensity of fear of COVID-19 infection as well as fear of COVID-19 vaccination.

RESULTS

The results indicate that fear of infection has a weak positive correlation with fear of vaccination. Both types of fear have a weak negative correlation with emotional stability and openness to experience. People diagnosed with COVID-19 have significantly higher levels of fear of vaccination and lower levels of emotional stability compared to those without a COVID-19 diagnosis. Fear of infection proves a good predictor of fear of vaccination and a likely mediator between emotional stability and fear of vaccination against COVID-19.

CONCLUSIONS

The results may increase our understanding of the role of personality traits, such as emotional stability, in the fear of infection and COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy.

Personality, Defenses, Mentalization, and Epistemic Trust Related to Pandemic Containment Strategies and the COVID-19 Vaccine: A Sequential Mediation Model

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has considerably influenced all domains of people's lives worldwide, determining a high increase in overall psychological distress and several clinical conditions. The study attempted to shed light on the relationship between the strategies adopted to manage the pandemic, vaccine hesitancy, and distinct features of personality and mental functioning.

METHODS

The sample consisted of 367 Italian individuals (68.1% women, 31.9% men; M age = 37, SD = 12.79) who completed an online survey, including an instrument assessing four response styles to the pandemic and lockdown(s), the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Brief Form, the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales-Self-Report-30, the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, and the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust, Credulity Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Maladaptive response patterns to pandemic restrictions were related to dysfunctional personality traits, immature defense mechanisms, poor mentalization, and epistemic mistrust or credulity. Moreover, more severe levels of personality pathology were predictive of an extraverted-maladaptive response style to health emergency through the full mediation of low overall defensive functioning, poor certainty of others' mental states, and high epistemic credulity.

CONCLUSIONS

Recognizing and understanding dysfunctional psychological pathways associated with individuals' difficulties in dealing with the pandemic are crucial for developing tailored mental-health interventions and promoting best practices in healthcare services.