Personality traits as predictors of stress and depression among medical students : a cross-sectional study

Abstract EN

background: Medical students during their study go through many stressful events.

Personality traits could affect an individual’s perception of stress or influence his or her reaction to different stresses.

Objectives: Determining which kind of different personality traits are the more pervasive can predict the stress feeling and future development of depression among medical students in the clinical years.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 237 students in the clinical years.

Measures included a socio-demographic questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, assessment of personality traits using the Big Five Inventory (short form) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Results: Stress was negatively correlated with extraversion (r2=-.151 p=.020), agreeableness (r2=-.163 p=.012), conscientiousness (r2=- .130 p=.045), openness (r2=-.163 p=.012), while positively correlated with neuroticism (r2=.294 p=.001).

Neuroticism was the only predictor for developing depression (beta=.339, p=.001).

Conclusion: Individuals high in neuroticism are more prone to have high perceived stress development of depression and anxiety.