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Different personalities between depression and anxiety
E Tanaka1, S Sakamoto, N Kijima
1Department of Sociocultural Environmental Research, National Institute of Mental Health, Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan.
Journal of Clinical Psychology
|December 5, 1998
Summary
This study explored personality traits linked to depression and anxiety in Japanese students. Key character dimensions like Self-Directedness significantly predicted both depression and anxiety, suggesting their importance in mental health.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Personality Science
Background:
- Depression and anxiety are prevalent mental health conditions with complex etiological factors.
- Cloninger's seven-factor model provides a comprehensive framework for understanding personality, encompassing temperament and character dimensions.
- Previous research has explored links between personality and psychopathology, but specific character dimensions' roles in differentiating depression and anxiety require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between specific personality dimensions, as defined by Cloninger's model, and symptoms of depression and anxiety.
- To determine which temperament and character dimensions predict depression and anxiety independently.
- To highlight the potential clinical significance of character dimensions in understanding and potentially treating depression and anxiety.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 223 Japanese students.
- Utilized the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) to assess seven personality dimensions (four temperament, three character).
- Employed hierarchical regression analysis to examine the predictive power of personality dimensions on depression (Self-rating Depression Scale, SDS) and anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI) scores, controlling for each other.
Main Results:
- Depression (SDS) scores were significantly predicted by Harm-Avoidance, Self-Directedness, and Self-Transcendence, even when accounting for anxiety levels.
- Anxiety (STAI) scores were significantly predicted by Self-Directedness and Cooperativeness, even when accounting for depression levels.
- Self-Directedness emerged as a significant predictor for both depression and anxiety, indicating its crucial role in emotional well-being.
Conclusions:
- Specific character dimensions, particularly Self-Directedness, play a significant role in the manifestation of both depression and anxiety.
- These findings underscore the importance of considering characterological factors in the assessment and treatment of mood and anxiety disorders.
- Further research into the therapeutic modulation of these character dimensions may offer novel avenues for intervention in depression and anxiety.