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Core Dimensions of Personality Broadly Account for the Link from Perceived Social Support to Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety
Author(s) -
Lewis Gary J.,
Bates Timothy C.,
Posthuma Danielle,
Polderman Tinca J. C.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of personality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.082
H-Index - 144
eISSN - 1467-6494
pISSN - 0022-3506
DOI - 10.1111/jopy.12064
Subject(s) - psychology , anxiety , personality , social support , extraversion and introversion , depression (economics) , clinical psychology , big five personality traits , population , psychopathology , mediation , psychiatry , social psychology , medicine , macroeconomics , environmental health , political science , law , economics
Abstract Specific personality traits and poor social support are risk factors for anxiety and depression. Little work, however, has considered the effects of social support and personality on these aspects of psychopathology simultaneously. We examined whether perceived social support mediates the effects of core personality domains on symptoms of anxiety and depression. Measures of personality (based on the Five‐Factor Model [ FFM ]), perceived social support, and symptoms of depression and anxiety were collected in a large Dutch adult population‐based sample ( n = 555), and, except for depression symptoms, in an independent U . S . adult population‐based sample ( n = 511). Path modeling was used to test the effects of FFM traits on symptoms of depression and anxiety, with and without the mediation of perceived social support. Social support showed no link to symptoms of anxiety and only modest links to symptoms of depression when controlling for the FFM traits. N euroticism had the strongest effect on symptoms of both depression and anxiety, with Extraversion also showing links to symptoms of depression. Social support has limited influence on symptoms of depression, and no effects on anxiety, over and above the effects of personality. Links between social support and anxiety/depression may largely reflect influences of N euroticism and E xtraversion.