Facets Of Depression Research Articles

The relationships between multiple facets of self-concept clarity and depression

ABSTRACT Previous studies report low self-concept clarity in depression, but they are limited to nonclinical samples and self-report questionnaires. To comprehensively understand the relationship between self-concept clarity and depression, this study expanded the range of depression to include clinical samples and explored self-concept clarity through a behavioral task. In Study 1, the self-concept clarity scale was administered to 48 nonclinical and 53 clinical participants, and the quadratic model best explained the relationship. In Study 2, 24 undergraduates and 21 depressed patients completed the me/not-me task. Shorter reaction time and greater internal consistency of negative self-descriptive words were associated with higher depression severity. The results suggest that a certain and consistent negative self-view relates to more severe depression.

No association between serotonin 4 receptor brain binding and personality trait Neuroticism - A positron emission tomography study in depressed patients and healthy individuals

Serotonergic neurotransmission has been linked to normal personality functioning, including the five-factor personality trait Neuroticism, which is a robust risk factor for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The serotonin 4 receptor (5-HT4R) is involved in regulating mood and has been shown to be altered in patients with MDD and map onto anxiety levels and memory performance. We here evaluate the link between 5-HT4R levels and Neuroticism in patients with MDD and replicate a previous study in healthy individuals. Neuroticism scores and brain 5-HT4R binding potential assessed with [11C]SB207145 positron emission tomography (PET) imaging were available from the CIMBI database for 63 unmedicated patients with MDD (48 W) and 120 healthy individuals (67 W). We investigated the association between Neuroticism and 5-HT4R binding in six regions of interest: frontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, neostriatum, and thalamus for each group. There was no association between regional 5-HT4R binding and total Neuroticism score in patients or healthy individuals (all padj > 0.99), although post hoc analyses indicated that in patients, Neuroticism facets of Depression (padj = 0.046) and Impulsivity (padj = 0.009) were positively associated with thalamic and frontal 5-HT4R binding respectively. While trait Neuroticism does not appear to be associated with brain 5-HT4R in either patients with MDD or healthy individuals, we found evidence that the facets Depression and Impulsiveness may be linked to regional 5-HT4R levels in patients.

PERSONALITY AND PLASMA BIOMARKERS OF REACTIVE ASTROGLIOSIS (GFAP) AND NEURONAL INJURY (NFL)

Abstract Personality traits are associated with cognitive functioning and risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. To understand the biological mechanisms of these associations, it is essential to examine the amyloid (A), tau (T), and neurodegeneration (N) components of the ATN framework. A recent meta-analysis found that neuroticism and conscientiousness are associated with amyloid and tau. However, less is known on whether personality traits are associated with markers of neurodegeneration. This study examines whether personality traits are concurrently related to plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), a marker of reactive astrogliosis, and neurofilament light (NfL), a marker of neuronal injury. Cognitively unimpaired participants from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging (N=786; age: 22-95) were assayed for plasma GFAP and NfL and completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R), which measures five domains and 30 facets of personality. Neuroticism (particularly vulnerability to stress, anxiety, and depression facets) was associated with higher GFAP and NfL. Conscientiousness was associated with lower GFAP. Extraversion (particularly positive emotions, assertiveness, and activity facets) was related to lower GFAP and NfL. These associations were independent of demographic, behavioral, and health covariates and not moderated by age, sex, or APOE genotype. The personality correlates of astrogliosis and neuronal injury tend to be similar, are found in individuals without cognitive impairment, and point to potential neurobiological underpinnings of the association between personality traits and neurodegenerative diseases.

Eysenck Personality Questionnaire – Revised Short Form Neuroticism Factors and Five-Factor Model Domains and Facets

Variance in the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised Short Form’s (EPQ-RS) Neuroticism scale is divisible into a general factor (Neuroticism) and two special factors (Anxious-Tense and Worried-Vulnerable), and although all three factors are associated with poorer mental health, their associations with physical health differ: the general Neuroticism factor was associated with poorer health, the association between the Anxious-Tense factor and health was mixed, and the Worried-Vulnerable factor was associated with better health. One unanswered question is how these factors map onto the domains of the Five-Factor Model of personality, and these domains’ lower-order facets? I addressed this question by collecting data from 230 first year psychology undergraduates. These participants completed the 12-item EPQ-RS Neuroticism scale and the 30-item short form version of the Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2-S). The general Neuroticism factor was associated positively with higher Neuroticism and its facets of Anxiety, Depression, and Emotional volatility. This factor was also associated negatively with Extraversion and its facet Energy level, Agreeableness and its facet Trust, and with Conscientiousness. The Anxious-Tense factor was associated positively with Neuroticism and its facet Anxiety, and negatively with Extraversion and its facet Assertiveness. The Worried-Vulnerable factor was associated positively only with Neuroticism and its facet Anxiety. Future epidemiological studies should be cautious when interpreting the effects of Neuroticism when it is measured using the EPQ-RS and should seek to replicate the present findings in larger, representative samples, and with comprehensive measures of the Five-Factor Model, such as the NEO Inventories.

Networks of C-reactive protein and depression symptoms in patients with stable coronary heart disease: Findings from the Heart and Soul Study.

Research addressing the associations between C-reactive protein (CRP) and depression among patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD) has produced inconsistent results. This might be attributable to varying associations of CRP with specific depression symptom profiles. We responded to this challenge using various network analysis techniques. A total of 967 outpatients with documented CHD were drawn from the baseline cross-sectional data of the Heart and Soul Study. We first estimated mixed graphical models that included CRP and individual depression symptoms, before and after adjusting for relevant covariates, to explore whether CRP is correlated with specific facets of depression. We also investigated whether CRP levels moderated the associations between specific depression symptoms using moderated network models. Finally, we performed a network comparison test and compared the symptom network properties between non-elevated and elevated CRP groups. In the network model without covariates, CRP was positively associated with fatigue, appetite changes, and psychomotor problems. CRP maintained its negative association with concentration difficulty regardless of covariate adjustment. Few symptom-symptom associations, especially those involving appetite changes, were moderated by CRP. Further, the elevated CRP group showed greater overall symptom connectivity as compared to the non-elevated group. This study segues into CRP-depression relationship with sophisticated methodology.

Social Elite in Imperial China: Their Destinies as Documented by the Historical Literature and Their Personality as Defined by the Contemporary Five-Factor Model

Background: The association between personality and life outcome has been widely studied in Western countries, and one might question whether the association exists in China. The official documentation from the Twenty-Six Histories of Imperial China, which presents life-long data on the social elite, may offer a convenient way to realize this effort. Meanwhile, a possible association might help identify competent personalities and offer treatment hints for personality disorders or other psychiatric deviations worldwide. Methods: Based on these historical records (about 618–1911 AD) on 18 social elite groups with long longevity (Macrobian group) and 30 with normal lifespans (Control group), we assessed personality traits/facets using the revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) and destiny using the Destiny Evaluation Questionnaire (DEQ). Results: Compared to the Controls, the Macrobian group scored higher on the DEQ’s Health and Destiny in General and lower on the NEO-PI-R traits Openness to Experience and Extraversion and facets such as Openness to Fantasy, Openness to Aesthetics, Openness to Feelings, Excitement-Seeking, and Self-Consciousness. In the Macrobian group, the Trust and Compliance facets predicted the DEQ’s Family and Marriage and Social Relationships aspects, respectively; Conscientiousness and its facets Dutifulness, Self-Discipline, and Competence predicted Family and Marriage, Career Achievement, and Destiny in General, respectively; and the Self-Consciousness facet predicted worse performance in Career Achievement, Family and Marriage, and Social Relationships and the Depression facet of Destiny in General. In the Control group, Openness to Feelings positively and Anxiety negatively predicted Health. Conclusions: Less self-focused attention and more interdependence between individuals were beneficial to several aspects of individual destiny in Imperial China, which might be profound for the individual career development and clinical treatment of personality disorders in contemporary society.

A Review on Risk Factors of Postpartum Depression in India and Its Management.

Postpartum depression is the term used for depression that predominates in the postpartum period, which is increasingly seen in research and clinical practice up to 1 year after delivery. Other symptoms commonly seen in women with postpartum depression include mood swings or lability and excessive worry about the baby. In addition, postpartum depression is often associated with anxiety disorders or significant anxiety symptoms. Women with a history of psychiatric illness are prone to postpartum depression. Postpartum depression is a crucial psychological health ailment that confers a vast degree of disability in females and is often associated with significant emotional, behavioral, and cognitive dangers in children. It is a disorder that is often unrecognized and undertreated. Postpartum depression is a critical issue to be addressed because it interferes with a woman’s self-care and parenting. It also affects a child’s mental growth and development. For these reasons, evaluation of risk factors is required to consider every facet of postpartum depression in women. This article reviews the associated risk factors and management of postpartum depression in India. Traditional studies for risk factors in postpartum depression have typically categorized women according to a particular stage of pregnancy that follows them into postpartum depression. Pregnancy-associated risk factors are estimated during pregnancy and are looked up for their predictive association with postpartum depression defined by clinical diagnostic methods or self-report assessment. Treatment options include psychotherapy and antidepressant medication. The risk of postpartum depression in fathers also follows maternal postpartum depression. Paternal depressive disorder is associated with adverse effects on child development. Early intervention for postpartum depression and anxiety may decrease the severity and recurrence of symptoms as well as the negative effects on the baby's health and development.

Facets of Personality and Risk of Cognitive Impairment: Longitudinal Findings in a Rural Community from Sardinia.

Few studies have examined the associations between personality facets and dementia risk and rarely included individuals from rural settings or with low education. To examine the association between personality and the risk of cognitive impairment. Participants (N = 1,668; age 50 to 94 at baseline; 56.4% women; 86.5% less than high school diploma) were from a rural region of Sardinia (Italy) who completed the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) during the first wave (2001-2004) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at waves two to five (2005-2021). Cox regression was used to test personality and covariates as predictors of cognitive impairment based on MMSE education-adjusted cutoffs. During the up to 18-year follow-up (M = 10.38; SD = 4.76), 187 individuals (11.2%) scored as cognitively impaired. Participants with higher neuroticism (particularly the depression facet [HR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.06-1.40]), and lower agreeableness (particularly the modesty facet [HR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.71-0.97]) and lower conscientiousness (particularly the dutifulness facet [HR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.67-0.92]) were at higher risk of cognitive impairment. Lower warmth ([HR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.65-0.87], facet of extraversion) and ideas ([HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.65-0.89], facet of openness) were also associated with increased risk of impairment. These associations were virtually unchanged in models that accounted for other risk factors, including smoking, depression, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 carrier status. Across the five domains, sex and the APOE variant did not moderate the associations. In a sample with demographic characteristics underrepresented in dementia research, this study identifies personality domains and facets most relevant to the risk of cognitive impairment.

Network Analysis of the Relationship Between Trait Depression and Impulsiveness Among Youth.

ObjectiveBoth impulsiveness and trait depression are the trait-level risk factors for depressive symptoms. However, the two traits overlap and do not affect depressive symptoms independently. This study takes impulsiveness and trait depression into a whole construct, aiming to find the complex associations among all facets and explore their relative importance in a trait network. It can help us find the key facets that need consideration in preventing depression.Materials and MethodsWe used the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) and Trait Depression Scale (T-DEP) as measuring tools, conducted network analysis, and applied the Graphic Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (GLASSO) algorithm to estimate the network structure and compute the linkage and centrality indexes. The accuracy and stability of the indexes were estimated through bootstrapping. All the computations were performed by R script and packages.ResultsWe found that “trait anhedonia” was connected with “non-planning” and “cognitive” impulsiveness, while “trait dysthymia” was connected with “motor” impulsiveness. “Cognitive” impulsiveness had a statistically significant higher expected influence than “motor” impulsiveness and had the trend to be dominant in the network. “Trait dysthymia” had a statistically significant higher bridge expected influence than “cognitive” impulsiveness and had the trend to be the key facet linking impulsiveness with trait depression. “Non-only children” had higher network global strength than “only children.” All indexes were accurate and stable.ConclusionThe present study confirms the complex associations among facets of trait depression and impulsiveness, finding that “cognitive” impulsiveness and “trait dysthymia” are the two key factors in the network. The results imply that different facets of impulsiveness should be considered respectively regarding anhedonia and dysthymia. “Cognitive” impulsiveness and “trait dysthymia” are critical to the prevention of depression.

Trauma exposure and smoking outcomes: The indirect effects of anxious and depressive symptoms

With a direct link between traumatic stress and poor smoking outcomes established, there is a clinically important need to identify underlying, targetable mechanisms that maintain these relations. The present study employed a parallel mediation model to assess the competing explanatory significance of four distinct facets of depression and anxiety (general anxiety, anxious arousal, general depression, and anhedonic depression) in the relation between traumatic load and perceived barriers for quitting smoking, severity of psychosomatic problems experienced when attempting to quit smoking in the past, and negative reinforcement expectancies related to smoking among 98 adult trauma-exposed daily smokers (Mage = 44.64, SD = 10.66). Results showed that only general anxiety symptoms, when controlling for the competing facets of depression and anxiety, had a statistically significant indirect effect on the relation between traumatic load and all smoking processes, such that general anxiety symptoms significantly, indirectly influenced the relation between traumatic load and barriers for smoking cessation (ab = 0.95, 95% CI [0.163, 0.2.14]), smoking quit problems (ab = 0.07, 95% CI [0.009, 0.165]), and negative reinforcement smoking expectancies (ab = 0.16, 95% CI [0.025, 0.399]). Anxious arousal demonstrated an indirect effect for trauma load on only negative reinforcement smoking expectancies (ab = -0.15, 95% CI [-0.345, -0.023]). The current findings highlight the potential importance of general anxiety symptoms as a targetable mechanism for smoking cessation treatments for trauma-exposed smokers.

Relationships of the Big Five facets and dysfunctional attitudes with depression.

There are two parallel lines of research on the relationship between personality and depression, one based on the Big Five personality model and one on Beck's cognitive theory of depression. However, no study has jointly examined the dimensions and facets of the Big Five and the dysfunctional attitudes of Beck's theory. This was the objective of the present study. The Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R), the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS-A), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-IA) were applied to 221 adults from the Spanish general population (53.7% females; mean age: 38.3 years). Various multiple linear regression analyses revealed that only the facet of depression was significantly related to depressive symptomatology. The different associations of the broad and specific personality traits and the need to control as many third variables as possible to prevent the finding of spurious relationships are discussed.

Predictors of Embarrassment in Daily Social Interactions in Social Phobia, Major Depression and Healthy Controls

Introduction: Embarrassment is a social affect. Once experienced in social interactions (SIs), it can be a precursor of clinical symptoms like depersonalization and ruminative thinking. This experience sampling study investigated predictors of embarrassment in social phobia (SP), major depressive disorder (MDD), and controls. Methods: For seven days, a total of n = 165 patients (n = 47 SP, n = 118 MDD) and n = 119 controls completed five surveys per day on their smartphones. The effect of social anxiety and depression facets on embarrassment was examined in contemporaneous and time-lagged models. Results: Individuals with SP or MDD experienced more embarrassing SIs than controls. Among facets of depression, feelings of guilt, and low self-worth significantly predicted embarrassment in contemporaneous, but not in time-lagged models. Among facets of social anxiety, worries about other people's opinion and worries of saying or doing something wrong during a social interaction significantly predicted embarrassment (contemporaneous and time-lagged; all p < .05). Discussion: The study reveals important cognitive factors that accompany embarrassment in SIs and that connect social experience and clinical symptoms. Targeting these putative dysfunctions could be an important strategy in therapy. The differential patterns in SP and MDD are discussed.

Risky Parental Practices and Their Implications in Adult Psychopathology

There are many ways in which an individual may fail as a parent. Most parents have good intentions, but that’s the exact reason why there’s an urgent need to clarify good parenting practices. This paper will look at risky parenting practices (e.g., guilt-inducing criticism) and their relationship with psychopathology (depression and anxiety, in this case) using socially prescribed perfectionism as a mediator. All eight mediations turned out to be statistically significant with six out of eight analyses being full mediations. Also, the relationships between the facets of perfectionism, depression, and anxiety are consistent with the findings of other studies up until this point. Considering the relationship between socially prescribed perfectionism and psychopathology, practical implications are discussed.

Preoccupation in bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, and higher weight.

Preoccupation (excessive and constant thoughts) about shape/weight and food/eating is thought to be prominent in individuals with eating disorders but has received much less research than overt behavioral features. This study examined the significance and distinctiveness of different foci of preoccupation in individuals categorized with different forms of eating disorders and in individuals with higher weight. Participants (N=1,363) completed a web-based survey with established measures of eating-disorder psychopathology and depression. The current study compared preoccupation among individuals with core features of bulimia nervosa (BN; n=144), binge-eating disorder (BED; n=576), anorexia nervosa (AN; n=48), and higher body weight (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 25) without eating-disorder features (higher weight [HW]; n=595). Associations of each type of preoccupation with other eating-disorder psychopathology and depression were examined both between and within study groups. Preoccupation with shape/weight and with food/eating showed a graded pattern of statistically significant differences: AN and BN had higher preoccupation than BED, which was higher than HW. Within BN, BED, and AN study groups, correlation magnitudes of shape/weight and food/eating preoccupation with eating-disorder psychopathology and depression did not differ significantly. Within the HW group, shape/weight preoccupation was significantly more strongly correlated than food/eating preoccupation with overvaluation, body dissatisfaction, and depression. The preoccupation cognitive style, as well as focus, appears associated with other facets of eating-disorder psychopathology and depression. If results are confirmed among individuals with formal diagnoses, clinicians addressing maladaptive cognitions in cognitive-behavioral therapy should consider the role of preoccupation. Future research should investigate whether preoccupation predicts or moderates eating disorder treatment outcomes.

Bidimensional structure and measurement equivalence of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9: sex-sensitive assessment of depressive symptoms in three representative German cohort studies

BackgroundThe Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) has been proposed as a reliable and valid screening instrument for depressive symptoms with one latent factor. However, studies explicitly testing alternative model structures found support for a two-dimensional structure reflecting a somatic and a cognitive-affective dimension. We investigated the bidimensional structure of the PHQ-9, with a somatic (sleeping problems, fatigability, appetitive problems, and psychomotor retardation) and a cognitive-affective dimension (lack of interest, depressed mood, negative feelings about self, concentration problems, and suicidal ideation), and tested for sex- and regional-differences.MethodsWe have included data from the GEnder-Sensitive Analyses of mental health trajectories and implications for prevention: A multi-cohort consortium (GESA). Privacy-preserving analyses to provide information on the overall population and cohort-specific information and analyses of variance to compare depressive, somatic and cognitive-affective symptoms between sexes and cohorts were executed in DataSHIELD. In order to determine the dimensionality and measurement invariance of the PHQ-9 we tested three models (1 factor, 2 correlated factors, and bifactor) via confirmatory analyses and performed multi-group confirmatory factor analysis.ResultsDifferences between sex and cohorts exist for PHQ-9 and for both of its dimensions. Women reported depressive symptoms in general as well as somatic and cognitive-affective symptoms more frequently. For all tested models an acceptable to excellent fit was found, consistently indicating a better model fit for the two-factor and bifactor model. Scalar measurement invariance was established between women and men, the three cohorts, and their interaction.ConclusionsThe two facets of depression should be taken into account when using PHQ-9, while data also render support to a general factor. Somatic and cognitive-affective symptoms assessed by the PHQ-9 can be considered equivalent across women and men and between different German populations from different regions.

Euthymia: a neglected aspect of trait depression and its role in predicting subjective well-being.

Besides its relationship with clinical depression, depressiveness may be conceptualized as a personality trait that includes dysthymia (negative emotional experiences) and euthymia (positive emotional experiences). Euthymia, when reverse scored, makes the construct of trait depression more sensitive to milder levels of depressiveness observed in non-clinical samples. We hypothesised that euthymia is a more important predictor of subjective well-being than dysthymia and this effect is retained when basic positive and negative affect are controlled. Participants were 213 adults (56% females) aged between 19 and 61 (M = 35.85, SD = 11.30). They completed self-report measures of: (a) euthymia and dysthymia as two facets of trait depression, (b) satisfaction with life, and (c) positive and negative affect. The results showed that positive affect and euthymia contributed independently to explaining the variance of satisfaction with life, but the predictive role of euthymia was stronger. In contrast, dysthymia turned out not to predict satisfaction with life when controlled for basic affect and euthymia. Theoretical implications of the results are discussed with their applications for counselling and clinical practice. We point to the need of monitoring the level of euthymia in the prevention programmes against depression, which is in line with the well-established role of positive interventions in psychotherapy and counselling.

Risk for alcohol use/misuse among entering college students: The role of personality and stress

IntroductionExcessive alcohol use amongst college students is associated with low grades, poor mental health, and risks to physical safety. Neuroticism, characterized by emotional instability and anxiety, and self-reported stress have both been shown to be strong predictors of alcohol use and misuse, however, previous studies have shown that measures of stress and Neuroticism are frequently confounded. This study tests the hypothesis that personality traits, and Neuroticism in particular, predict alcohol use/misuse in matriculating freshmen above and beyond reported levels of stress. MethodsData were collected as part of an IRB-approved longitudinal study, MAPme, examining behavioral health in college. Participants were 303 first-year college students (70% female) with an average age of 18.58 (SD = 0.39). Data were collected during the first eight weeks of the first semester at college. ResultsOverall, domain-level Neuroticism was not associated with alcohol use/misuse above and beyond perceived levels of stress and other Big Five domains (β = 0.14, p = 0.088). Notably, the depression facet of Neuroticism (Neuroticism—Depression), was positively associated with alcohol use/misuse when accounting for the shared effects of stress. Results demonstrated that the Neuroticism—Depression facet moderated the relationship between stress and alcohol use/misuse (β = 0.18, p = 0.020). ConclusionsThe Neuroticism—Depression facet is a better predictor of alcohol use/misuse than the Neuroticism domain, even when accounting for stress and other personality domains.At low levels of the Depression facet, stress was negatively associated with alcohol use/misuse, but at high levels of the Depression facet, stress was positively associated with alcohol use/misuse. Taken together, our results shed new light into the combined and independent effects of Neuroticism and stress on alcohol use/misuse.

The relative importance of targets' neuroticism facets in relation to their perceptions of workplace mistreatment.

Despite evidence that indicates neuroticism is the strongest Five Factor Model personality correlate of perceived workplace mistreatment, there is a paucity of research on the relationship between neuroticism facets and mistreatment, particularly, the relative importance of these facets. Clarity in this regard could aid our understanding as to why neuroticism is related to mistreatment and thus guide theory building, in addition to increasing the utility of personality measures and organizational interventions. Data from a sample of 307 employees were used to conduct an exploratory relative weights analysis of the six neuroticism facets on two forms of mistreatment. Results indicated that the facets of depression, anxiety and anger consistently explained significant proportions of the variance in both group-based and non-group-based mistreatment whereas self-consciousness, immoderation and vulnerability did not. Implications, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Can Playfulness be Stimulated? A Randomised Placebo-Controlled Online Playfulness Intervention Study on Effects on Trait Playfulness, Well-Being, and Depression.

While there are numerous applications of play-based interventions, there is little research on playfulness-based interventions. We applied interventions that aim at stimulating playfulness and test effects on happiness and depressive symptoms. In a randomised placebo-controlled online intervention, N=533 participants were assigned to one of three 1-week playfulness conditions (i.e. three playful things, using playfulness in a new way, and counting playfulness) or a placebo condition. Participants reported on global playfulness, facets of playfulness, well-being, and depression at pretest, posttest, and at follow-ups after 2, 4, and 12weeks. All interventions increased expressions in all facets of playfulness, had short-term effects on well-being, and ameliorated depression. Overall, findings suggest that playfulness can be stimulated by short self-administered interventions.

Change in five-factor model personality traits during the acute phase of the coronavirus pandemic

The rapid spread of the coronavirus and the strategies to slow it have disrupted just about every aspect of our lives. Such disruption may be reflected in changes in psychological function. The present study used a pre-posttest design to test whether Five Factor Model personality traits changed with the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. Participants (N = 2,137) were tested in early February 2020 and again during the President's 15 Days to Slow the Spread guidelines. In contrast to the preregistered hypotheses, Neuroticism decreased across these six weeks, particularly the facets of Anxiety and Depression, and Conscientiousness did not change. Interestingly, there was some evidence that the rapid changes in the social context had changed the meaning of an item. Specifically, an item about going to work despite being sick was a good indicator of conscientiousness before COVID-19, but the interpretation of it changed with the pandemic. In sum, the unexpected small decline in Neuroticism suggests that, during the acute phase of the coronavirus outbreak, feelings of anxiety and distress may be attributed more to the pandemic than to one's personality.