Personality and Depression: Explanatory Models and Review of the Evidence

Abstract

Understanding the association between personality and depression has implications for elucidating etiology and comorbidity, identifying at-risk individuals, and tailoring treatment. We discuss seven major models that have been proposed to explain the relation between personality and depression, and we review key methodological issues, including study design, the heterogeneity of mood disorders, and the assessment of personality. We then selectively review the extensive empirical literature on the role of personality traits in depression in adults and children. Current evidence suggests that depression is linked to traits such as neuroticism/negative emotionality, extraversion/positive emotionality, and conscientiousness. Moreover, personality characteristics appear to contribute to the onset and course of depression through a variety of pathways. Implications for prevention and prediction of treatment response are discussed, as well as specific considerations to guide future research on the relation between personality and depression.

Maladaptive Personality Traits and 10-Year Course of Psychiatric and Medical Symptoms and Functional Impairment Following Trauma

“…On individual level, personality was associated with differences in slopes of health trajectories, suggesting that personality may shape the illness course [28,29]. Three personality facets emerged to show a significant and unique association with the illness course.…”

“…First, the link between personality and the course of illness and functional impairment is largely unexplored. Personality can be associated with initial individual differences in vulnerability to health and functional impairments, but it is equally important to investigate whether it is further linked with the course and maintenance of these problems over and above these baseline differences [28,29].…”

The Relationship Between Personality Traits, Psychopathological Symptoms, and Problematic Internet Use: A Complex Mediation Model (Preprint)

“…Similarly, internalizing and externalizing disorders are not independent from each other either (e.g., [81]). Additionally, depression is associated not only with neuroticism but also with conscientiousness [82]. Hall, Fong and Epp [83] noted the role of both personality (primary conscientiousness and neuroticism) and executive functions in predicting health behaviour patterns, which might underpin the relevance of the model presented here.…”

Neuroticism in Remitted Major Depression: Elevated with Early Onset but Not Late Onset of Depression

“…The association between depression and personality traits, in particular neuroticism, has been established [1,2,3]. Neuroticism is measured in self-report scales by items that refer to negative affect, worry, anxiety, irritability, self-consciousness, vulnerability and poor or unstable emotional adjustment [4,5].…”

“…Understanding the nature of the relationship between neuroticism and depression is important for both the prevention and prediction of treatment response [3]. Neuroticism may influence the onset and course of depression in several ways [7].…”