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Cited by 886Personality Traits and PsychologyPersonality Disorders and PsychopathologyAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Personality and depression: explanatory models and review of the evidence

Open access
Klein, Daniel N., Kotov, Roman, Bufferd, Sara J.·2011·Annual Review of Clinical Psychology
DOI 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032210-104540PMC PMC3518491
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Abstract

Understanding the association between personality and depression has implications for elucidating etiology and comorbidity, identifying at-risk individuals, and tailoring treatment. We discuss seven major models that have been proposed to explain the relation between personality and depression, and we review key methodological issues, including study design, the heterogeneity of mood disorders, and the assessment of personality. We then selectively review the extensive empirical literature on the role of personality traits in depression in adults and children. Current evidence suggests that depression is linked to traits such as neuroticism/negative emotionality, extraversion/positive emotionality, and conscientiousness. Moreover, personality characteristics appear to contribute to the onset and course of depression through a variety of pathways. Implications for prevention and prediction of treatment response are discussed, as well as specific considerations to guide future research on the relation between personality and depression.

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Crossref · 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032210-104540

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  • Neuroticism is the personality trait most strongly associated with many forms of psychopathology.

    “The personality trait neuroticism, reflecting an individual’s tendency to experience negative emotions, sensitivity to aversive cues, and insufficient ability to cope with stress, has been found to be the personality trait that is the most strongly associated with many forms of psychopathology (26–31)”

    From Decreases in State and Trait Anxiety Post-psilocybin: A Naturalistic, Observational Study Among Retreat Attendees (2022) · cites this paper as [29]

  • A pre-marital history of mental disorders also appears to predict divorce, again with associations quite similar for husbands and wives across all countries and depression among the most important disorders in this regard.

    “A pre-marital history of mental disorders also appears to predict divorce, 236 again with associations quite similar for husbands and wives across all countries and depression among the most important disorders in this regard. 237”

    From Time for united action on depression: a Lancet–World Psychiatric Association Commission (2022) · cites this paper as [236]

  • Neuroticism is elevated in current and remitted depression.

    “First, neuroticism—the propensity to experience negative emotions—is elevated in current and remitted depression (De Fruyt et al, 2006; Klein et al, 2011), and predicts first onset of MDD (Kendler et al, 2006).”

    From Neural Correlates of Three Promising Endophenotypes of Depression: Evidence from the EMBARC Study (2016) · cites this paper as Klein et al, 2011

  • Neuroticism has been repeatedly shown to covary with current depressive symptoms.

    “neuroticism has been repeatedly shown to covary with current depressive symptoms (Klein et al, 2011)”

    From Neural Correlates of Three Promising Endophenotypes of Depression: Evidence from the EMBARC Study (2016) · cites this paper as Klein et al, 2011

  • Personality functioning is a predictor of incidence, relapse, and recurrence of depressive disorder, not only a modifier or sequela.

    “Empirical evidence has been accumulated to show that personality functioning is not only a modifier or a sequela of depressive disorder, but also a predictor of its incidence [49], relapses and recurrences [50, 51].”

    From Predictors of recurrence of major depressive disorder (2020) · cites this paper as [49]

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Caspi A Shiner RL Damon W Lerner R Eisenberg N Personality development Handbook of Child Psychology: Social, Emotional, and Personality Development 2006 6th ed. New York Wiley 300 365
  2. Klein DN Craighead WE Miklowitz DJ Craighead LW Dysthymia and chronic depression Psychopathology: History, Theory, and Diagnosis 2008 Hoboken, NJ Wiley 329 365
  3. Ormel J de Jong A Tansella M Thornicroft G On vulnerability to common mental disorders. An evidence-based plea for a developmental perspective Common Mental Disorders in Primary Care: Essays in Honour of Professor Sir David Goldberg 1999 London Routledge 34 51
  4. Rothbart MK Bates JE Eisenberg N Damon W Lerner RM Temperament Handbook of Child Psychology: Vol. 3. Social, Emotional, and Personality Development 2006 6th ed. Hoboken, NJ Wiley 99 166

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Authors
Klein, D. N., Kotov, R., & Bufferd, S. J.
Affiliations
State University of New York (US)
ORCID
Venue
Annual Review of Clinical Psychology
Publisher
Annual Reviews
Published
2011-04-27
Volume
7
Issue
1
Pages
269-295
ISSN
  • 1548-5943 (ISSN-L)
  • 1548-5951
DOI
10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-032210-104540
PMC
PMC3518491
OpenAlex
W2153664481
Cited by
886
References
145
Citations by year
2026: 38 · 2025: 67 · 2024: 58 · 2023: 78 · 2022: 80 · 2021: 76 · 2020: 104 · 2019: 42 · 2018: 64 · 2017: 81 · 2016: 47 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 43 · 2013: 34 · 2012: 26
FWCI
5.48
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Annual Review of Clinical Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH069942)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
personality traits, depression, neuroticism, positive affectivity, extraversion, conscientiousness, negative affectivity, etiology of depression, comorbidities, at-risk individuals, depression prevention, treatment response prediction, children and adolescents, personality assessment
MeSH terms
Adult, Affect, Child, Depressive Disorder, Humans, Models, Psychological, Personality, Personality Assessment, Temperament, Behavioral Research

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