Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Psychol Med. 2023 Aug;53(11):5081-5090. doi: 10.1017/S0033291722002082. Epub 2022 Aug 18.
Personality traits (e.g. neuroticism) and the social environment predict risk for internalizing disorders and suicidal behavior. Studying these characteristics together and prospectively within a population confronted with high stressor exposure (e.g. U.S. Army soldiers) has not been done, yet could uncover unique and interactive predictive effects that may inform prevention and early intervention efforts.
Five broad personality traits and social network size were assessed via self-administered questionnaires among experienced soldiers preparing for deployment ( = 4645) and new soldiers reporting for basic training ( = 6216). Predictive models examined associations of baseline personality and social network variables with recent distress disorders or suicidal behaviors assessed 3- and 9-months post-deployment and approximately 5 years following enlistment.
Among the personality traits, elevated neuroticism was consistently associated with increased mental health risk following deployment. Small social networks were also associated with increased mental health risk following deployment, beyond the variance accounted for by personality. Limited support was found for social network size moderating the association between personality and mental health outcomes. Small social networks also predicted distress disorders and suicidal behavior 5 years following enlistment, whereas unique effects of personality traits on these more distal outcomes were rare.
Heightened neuroticism and small social networks predict a greater risk for negative mental health sequelae, especially following deployment. Social ties may mitigate adverse impacts of personality traits on psychopathology in some contexts. Early identification and targeted intervention for these distinct, modifiable factors may decrease the risk of distress disorders and suicidal behavior.
个性特征（如神经质）和社会环境可预测内化障碍和自杀行为的风险。在面临高压力暴露的人群中（例如，美国陆军士兵），尚未对这些特征进行前瞻性的综合研究，但可能会发现独特且相互作用的预测效应，从而为预防和早期干预工作提供信息。
通过自我报告问卷，对准备部署的有经验士兵（n=4645）和新入伍士兵（n=6216）进行了五种广泛的人格特质和社交网络规模的评估。预测模型研究了基线人格和社会网络变量与最近的创伤后应激障碍或自杀行为的关联，这些行为在部署后 3 个月和 9 个月进行评估，大约在入伍后 5 年进行评估。
在个性特征中，神经质水平升高与部署后心理健康风险增加有关。小的社交网络也与部署后心理健康风险增加有关，超出了人格所解释的范围。社交网络规模对人格和心理健康结果之间的关联的调节作用的支持有限。小的社交网络也预测了入伍后 5 年的创伤后应激障碍和自杀行为，而个性特征对这些更遥远的结果的独特影响则很少。
神经质水平升高和社交网络规模小预示着负面心理健康后果的风险更高，尤其是在部署后。在某些情况下，社会关系可能会减轻人格特质对精神病理学的不利影响。早期识别和针对这些独特的、可改变的因素进行有针对性的干预，可能会降低创伤后应激障碍和自杀行为的风险。
