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Adolescents’ personality and sex, age, socioeconomic status in explaining mental health : A representative Swedish national study

Kajonius, Petri LU ; Sjöström, David LU orcid ; Gripe, Isabella ; Thor, Siri and Claesdotter-Knutsson, Emma LU (2025) In Mental Health and Prevention 37.
Abstract

Objective: The present study compared individual personality traits and demographic variables, i.e. sex, age, and socioeconomic status, in explaining mental health in a large representative adolescent Swedish high school survey. Method: This data collection on 15- to 18-year-olds (N = 10,288, response rate 79 %) was conducted in 2024 and included, for the first time, a brief Big Five personality measure (Ten Item Personality Inventory; TIPI) together with 3 diverse mental health measures (General Anxiety Disorder, GAD-7; Daily dysfunction; and Global satisfaction with self). Results: Individual differences in the Big Five personality traits, particularly neuroticism, explained mental health approximately 10 times more than demographic... (More)

Objective: The present study compared individual personality traits and demographic variables, i.e. sex, age, and socioeconomic status, in explaining mental health in a large representative adolescent Swedish high school survey. Method: This data collection on 15- to 18-year-olds (N = 10,288, response rate 79 %) was conducted in 2024 and included, for the first time, a brief Big Five personality measure (Ten Item Personality Inventory; TIPI) together with 3 diverse mental health measures (General Anxiety Disorder, GAD-7; Daily dysfunction; and Global satisfaction with self). Results: Individual differences in the Big Five personality traits, particularly neuroticism, explained mental health approximately 10 times more than demographic differences. Females reported higher neuroticism (d = 0.68) and lower mental health across all study measures (dMean = -0.62) than males. Differences in general anxiety (GAD-7) equated to 3 out of 4 females being higher than the male mean. Age and socioeconomic status showed trivial effects. Conclusion: We discuss study limitations and recommend taking individual differences in personality into account in adolescent mental health research.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Age, Mental health, Personality, Sex, Socioeconomic status
in
Mental Health and Prevention
volume
37
article number
200399
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85215956549
ISSN
2212-6570
DOI
10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200399
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2622c183-124d-48f6-ae4a-22d9223f94ae
date added to LUP
2025-03-17 15:44:05
date last changed
2025-10-14 11:18:12
@article{2622c183-124d-48f6-ae4a-22d9223f94ae,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objective: The present study compared individual personality traits and demographic variables, i.e. sex, age, and socioeconomic status, in explaining mental health in a large representative adolescent Swedish high school survey. Method: This data collection on 15- to 18-year-olds (N = 10,288, response rate 79 %) was conducted in 2024 and included, for the first time, a brief Big Five personality measure (Ten Item Personality Inventory; TIPI) together with 3 diverse mental health measures (General Anxiety Disorder, GAD-7; Daily dysfunction; and Global satisfaction with self). Results: Individual differences in the Big Five personality traits, particularly neuroticism, explained mental health approximately 10 times more than demographic differences. Females reported higher neuroticism (d = 0.68) and lower mental health across all study measures (d<sub>Mean</sub> = -0.62) than males. Differences in general anxiety (GAD-7) equated to 3 out of 4 females being higher than the male mean. Age and socioeconomic status showed trivial effects. Conclusion: We discuss study limitations and recommend taking individual differences in personality into account in adolescent mental health research.</p>}},
  author       = {{Kajonius, Petri and Sjöström, David and Gripe, Isabella and Thor, Siri and Claesdotter-Knutsson, Emma}},
  issn         = {{2212-6570}},
  keywords     = {{Age; Mental health; Personality; Sex; Socioeconomic status}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Mental Health and Prevention}},
  title        = {{Adolescents’ personality and sex, age, socioeconomic status in explaining mental health : A representative Swedish national study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200399}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.mhp.2025.200399}},
  volume       = {{37}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}