A cross-sectional study of personality traits on depressive symptoms in persons with SCI

Abstract

Spinal cord injury can cause severe disability and influence mental health. A considerable group of persons develop a depression after the injury. Contrary to the literature in the general population, research on the personality traits that could influence the development of depression in this population is sparse. Therefore, several correlations between personality traits and depressive symptoms have been conducted. Afterwards, a multiple regression and a hierarchical regression were conducted to see if personality traits were predictors of depressive symptoms when injury characteristics are controlled. Neuroticism and Self-Esteem are significantly correlated with depressive symptoms. In the regression analyses, Neuroticism was found to be a significant predictor of variance in the development of depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that personality traits are potentially attractive means of identifying individuals at risk and facilitate preventive interventions. Further research is needed to assess the complex relationship between personality and depressive symptoms.