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High neuroticism at age 20 predicts history of mental disorders and low self‐esteem at age 35
Author(s) -
Lönnqvist JanErik,
Verkasalo Markku,
Mäkinen Seppo,
Henriksson Markus
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.20571
Subject(s) - neuroticism , psychology , personality , clinical psychology , confounding , self esteem , competence (human resources) , psychometrics , psychiatry , developmental psychology , medicine , social psychology , pathology
Abstract The authors assessed whether neuroticism in emerging adulthood predicts mental disorders and self‐esteem in early adulthood after controlling for possible confounding variables. A sample of 69 male military conscripts was initially assessed at age 20 and again as civilians at age 35. The initial assessment included a psychiatric interview, objective indicators of conscript competence, an intellectual performance test, and neuroticism questionnaires. The follow‐up assessment included a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM‐IV (SCID; First, Spitzer, Gibbon, & Williams, 1996) and the Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965). Neuroticism predicted future mental disorders and low self‐esteem beyond more objective indicators of adjustment. The results support the use of neuroticism as a predictor of future mental disorders, even over periods of time when personality is subject to change. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol 65: 1–10, 2009.