Depression affects more than 280 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. However, not everyone experiences it the same way. Some people seem to cope better than others, leading researchers to wonder: Does personality influence how people experience depression?
A 2024 study published in Clinical Psychological Science explored this question. Led by Thomas Olino from Temple University, the study examined whether a person’s personality traits shape the way they experience depression symptoms.
This idea, known as the pathoplasty model, suggests that an individual’s personality may affect the expression and management of their mental health condition.
The Connection Between Personality and Depression
Previous research has suggested that depression could either change a person’s personality over time or that certain personality traits could make a person more vulnerable to specific symptoms. For example, a highly extroverted person with depression might have more energy than a reserved, introverted person with the same condition.
However, studying these relationships is complicated. Personality traits exist on a spectrum, making them difficult to measure in a way that provides clear answers. Most psychological studies rely on “binary predictors”—questions that produce simple “yes” or “no” answers. Personality research doesn’t fit into this format, making it harder to study.
To address this challenge, Olino’s team used moderated nonlinear factor analysis, a statistical method that identifies patterns across large groups with individual differences. They analyzed data from five separate studies, with participants ranging from teenagers to older adults across the United States.
How Personality Was Measured
In some studies, researchers used the Big Five personality model, which evaluates people based on five traits:
- Neuroticism (emotional instability, tendency to experience negative emotions)
- Extraversion (sociability, enthusiasm, and energy levels)
- Openness to experience (curiosity, creativity, willingness to try new things)
- Agreeableness (kindness, cooperation, empathy)
- Conscientiousness (self-discipline, organization, responsibility)
Other studies used the Big Three personality model, which focuses on:
- Negative emotionality (similar to neuroticism, measuring emotional distress)
- Positive emotionality (similar to extraversion, measuring enthusiasm and energy)
- Constraint (self-control and discipline)
What the Study Found
The researchers expected to find clear links between personality and depression symptoms. They predicted that:
- People high in neuroticism or negative emotionality would experience more intense depression symptoms, such as sadness and low energy.
- People high in extraversion or positive emotionality would have fewer depression symptoms, especially lower levels of sadness.
While there were some small connections in individual samples, the overall results did not strongly support the pathoplasty model. In other words, personality traits did not seem to have a major influence on how people experienced depression symptoms.
What This Means for Future Research
Although the study did not find strong evidence for the pathoplasty model, it raises new questions about how depression affects different people. Olino suggests that future research should focus on more dynamic factors, such as how specific symptoms of depression influence each other over time.
Understanding these patterns could help doctors and therapists create more personalized treatment plans for people with depression. Instead of assuming personality plays a major role in symptom expression, researchers may need to explore other factors, such as environmental stressors, coping mechanisms, and biological influences.
“We need to better understand which symptoms might trigger others and how this process unfolds,” Olino explained. “This knowledge could lead to better individualization of treatment and care.”
While personality may still play some role in how people experience depression, this study suggests that the connection is weaker than previously thought. Moving forward, researchers will need to look at other influences that shape how individuals cope with this widespread mental health condition.
If you care about health, please read studies that scientists find a core feature of depression and this metal in the brain strongly linked to depression.
For more information about health, please see recent studies about drug for mental health that may harm the brain, and results showing this therapy more effective than ketamine in treating severe depression.
The research findings can be found in Clinical Psychological Science.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
