Department of Psychology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Molde Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Møre og Romsdal Hospital Trust, Molde, Norway.
BMC Psychiatry. 2022 Sep 15;22(1):610. doi: 10.1186/s12888-022-04237-y.
Several risk factors for anxious-depressive symptomatology during the COVID-19 pandemic have been established. However, few studies have examined the relationship between personality traits, hardiness, and such symptomatology during the pandemic. These constructs might serve as risk- and/or protective factors for such mental distress through the pandemic.
A sample of 5783 Norwegians responded to a survey at two time points within the first year of the pandemic. The first data collection was in April 2020 (T1) and the second in December 2020 (T2). Measures included the Ten-Item Personality-Inventory, the Revised Norwegian Dispositional Resilience Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety and Depression Scale. Analyses were performed using Pearson's correlations, multiple linear regression, and a moderation analysis.
Anxious-depressive symptomatology in early phases (T1) of the pandemic was the strongest predictor for the presence of such symptomatology 9 months after the outbreak (T2). Personality and hardiness correlated significantly with mental distress at T1 and T2. Personality traits explained 5% variance in symptoms when controlling for age, gender, solitary living, negative economic impact, and mental distress at baseline. Higher neuroticism predicted higher mental distress, whereas higher conscientiousness and extraversion predicted less mental distress. Hardiness did not explain variance in outcome beyond personality traits. Hardiness did not significantly moderate the relationship between neuroticism and mental distress.
Individuals with high levels of neuroticism had greater difficulties adapting to the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and were more prone to mental distress. Contrastingly, higher conscientiousness and extraversion may have served as protective factors for mental distress during the pandemic. The current findings might aid identification of vulnerable individuals and groups. Consequently, preventive interventions could be offered to those who need it the most.
已经确定了 COVID-19 大流行期间出现焦虑-抑郁症状的几个危险因素。然而，很少有研究探讨人格特质、坚韧与大流行期间这种症状之间的关系。这些结构可能通过大流行成为这种精神困扰的风险因素和/或保护因素。
在大流行的第一年，5783 名挪威人在两个时间点对一项调查做出了回应。第一次数据收集是在 2020 年 4 月（T1），第二次是在 2020 年 12 月（T2）。测量包括十项人格量表、修订后的挪威性格韧性量表和患者健康问卷焦虑和抑郁量表。使用 Pearson 相关分析、多元线性回归和调节分析进行分析。
大流行早期（T1）的焦虑-抑郁症状是大流行 9 个月后（T2）出现这种症状的最强预测因子。人格和坚韧在 T1 和 T2 时与精神困扰显著相关。在控制年龄、性别、独居、负面经济影响和基线时的精神困扰后，人格特质解释了症状的 5%方差。神经质越高，精神困扰越大，而责任心和外向性越高，精神困扰越小。坚韧在个性特征之外没有解释结果的差异。坚韧并没有显著调节神经质和精神困扰之间的关系。
神经质水平较高的个体在适应 COVID-19 大流行的环境方面遇到了更大的困难，更容易出现精神困扰。相比之下，更高的责任心和外向性可能是大流行期间精神困扰的保护因素。目前的研究结果可能有助于识别弱势群体。因此，可以向最需要的人提供预防干预措施。
