IngentaConnect Personality traits and perceived social support among depressed o...

Authors: Cukrowicz, Kelly¹; Franzese, Alexis²; Thorp, Steven³; Cheavens, Jennifer⁴; Lynch, Thomas⁵

Source: Aging and Mental Health, Volume 12, Number 5, September 2008 , pp. 662-669(8)

Publisher: Routledge, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

Abstract:

The contribution of personality traits and social support to mental health is well established, but to our knowledge there have been no longitudinal investigations of the relation between personality and social support in depressed older adults. In the current study, we examined a repeated measures multi-level mixed model of change in perceived social support to determine whether personality traits and depressive symptoms were associated with changes in perceived social support over the 3 year study interval in a sample of depressed older adults. Results suggest that Conscientiousness and Extraversion were personality traits that were significantly predictive of changes in perceived social support over this time interval. Based on these results it appears that, among depressed older adults, those with conscientious or extraverted personality traits are more likely to resist impulses to withdraw from relationships. In addition, these traits may lead to more satisfying interactions and greater perceived social support over time. The implications of these results are discussed.

Keywords: personality; social support; perceived social support; depression; older adults

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1080/13607860802343258

Affiliations: 1: Department of Psychology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA 2: Departments of Sociology and Psychology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA 3: VA San Diego Healthcare System, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, California, USA 4: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA 5: Department of Psychology, Duke University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA

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Personality traits and perceived social support among depressed older adults