Personality Traits and Changes in Health Behaviors and Depressive Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Analysis from Pre-pandemic to Onset and End of the Initial Emergency Conditions in Finland

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures targeting the transmission of the virus impacted everyday life in 2020. This study investigated pre- to in-pandemic changes in health behaviors and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role of personality traits in these changes in Finland. Data from a larger population-based cohort study of 51–59-year-old Finnish women were used (n = 358). Self-reported questionnaires gathered information about depressive symptoms, eating behavior, physical activity, and alcohol consumption before the pandemic time, at the onset, and at the end of the COVID-19 emergency conditions. Information about personality traits (extraversion and neuroticism) and sociodemographic factors was available from the pre-pandemic baseline. Women reported more depressive symptoms and unhealthier eating habits at the end of the emergency conditions compared to the pre-pandemic time. An increase in depressive symptoms was associated with changing to unhealthier eating habits. Higher extraversion was associated with a perceived decrease in alcohol consumption and with changing to healthier eating habits. Women with higher neuroticism reported changing to either healthier or unhealthier eating habits. In general, some women reported healthier lifestyle changes while other women reported the opposite. Personality traits help to understand these individual differences in adaptation to the pandemic situation.

More Depressive Symptoms, Alcohol and Drug Consumption: Increase in Mental Health Symptoms Among University Students After One Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…An increase in total AUDIT-C scores during the pandemic compared to pre-COVID-19 was shown in a sample of vulnerable groups (people with self-reported mental health problems) ( 50 ). While an increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic, as found in our study, was reported by several other studies ( 51 ), a decreased or unchanged consumption was also observed ( 52 , 53 ). The inconsistent results may be explained by the differences in study population as well as measurement time (beginning of the pandemic etc.)…”

Changes in older people’s quality of life in the COVID-19 era: a population-based study in Finland

“…Putting the findings to a broader context, Finland, being a Nordic welfare state, is characterised by efficient public health care services and social welfare to ensure peoples wellbeing and financial livelihood [ 12 ]. Finally, why some older people reacted more positively to the pandemic than others may be explained by certain personality traits, e.g., higher extraversion, and psychosocial resources, e.g., better stress-coping ability, as suggested before [ 37 – 39 ].…”

Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 Pandemic Period in the European Population: An Institutional Challenge

“…In the European studies analyzed, the female gender was found to be significantly more at risk than the male for the development of stress and anxiety, depression [ 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 ], and post-traumatic symptoms [ 79 , 80 , 81 ]. The evolution of symptoms over time was also worse for women [ 82 ].…”