Are high neuroticism and low financial well-being mutually-exacerbating risk factors for depressive symptomatology? A...

High neuroticism and low financial well-being (FWB) are each known risk factors for depression. The purpose of the current study was to clarify how these risk factors operate together, via mutual mediation and moderation, to predict increasing depressive symptomatology.

A national sample of adults in the United States (N = 7322) completed assessments of neuroticism, FWB, and depressive symptomatology repeatedly over four years. Mediation and moderation processes were tested in a structural equation model.

Supporting the hypotheses, high neuroticism predicted reductions in FWB, low FWB predicted increases in neuroticism, and both changes predicted subsequent upticks in depressive symptomatology (mediation). Moreover, high neuroticism and low FWB more strongly predicted depressive symptomatology increases in the presence of one another (moderation).

Effect sizes were generally small. Generalization of findings to other populations is unknown. Causal processes could not be definitively tested in this observational study. Replication of these novel findings is needed.

High neuroticism and low FWB were mutually-exacerbating risk factors for depressive symptomatology among adults in the United States. These risk factors possibly drive increases in one another, and amplify each other's connection to depressive symptomatology. This pattern of findings highlights potential mechanisms to improve depression prevention and treatment, warranting future research.