Personality traits and anxiety: An individual participant meta-analysis of ten studies

Previous meta-analyses on personality traits and anxiety have relied on aggregated data, mostly from younger and clinical samples. This study is the first individual participant meta-analysis of the association between personality traits and anxiety with a focus on middle-aged and older adults from the general population, as well as younger adults. The analysis included 10 samples (Total N = 84,721) of adults (grand mean age = 57.54, age range: 16-104 years) from the US, Europe, and Asia. Neuroticism was associated with a three-fold increase in likelihood of high anxiety (odds ratio [OR] = 3.006, 95% CI=2.63-3.44, p<.001). The other four traits were associated with lower likelihood (extraversion OR = 0.72, 95% CI=0.66-0.79, p<.001; conscientiousness OR = 0.71, 95% CI=0.67-0.76, p<.001; openness OR = 0.85, 95% CI=0.79- 0.91, p<.001; agreeableness OR = 0.85, 95% CI=0.76-0.95, p<.01). The association between higher neuroticism and higher likelihood of anxiety and between extraversion and conscientiousness and lower likelihood of anxiety was slightly stronger among males. There was little evidence of moderation by age or sample-level factors. Personality traits have replicable associations with anxiety. Neuroticism may be a risk factor for elevated anxiety, whereas extraversion, conscientiousness, and to a lesser extent openness and agreeableness may play a protective role.