Mental health and COVID-19: The moderating role of neuroticism and conscientiousness

Abstract

Empirical research has established that fear and perceived threat of COVID-19 are associated with anxiety and depression in the general population. Is unclear how personality traits may act as moderators, thus the present study explored these relationships. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the moderating role of neuroticism and conscientiousness on the relationship between (1) the perceived threat of COVID-19 and anxiety and depression separately and (2) the fear of COVID-19 and anxiety and depression separately. Method: This cross-sectional study was based on a community sample of 295 adults (Mage = 37.2, SDage = 11.9) from Romania who participated online. Results: Neuroticism and conscientiousness moderated the relationship between perceived threat and mental health outcomes. Specifically, those with higher neuroticism evidenced a stronger association between the perceived threat of COVID-19 and both anxiety and depression, whereas those high in conscientiousness evidenced a weaker relationship between fear of COVID-19 and depression. Conclusion: This study highlights the importance of considering personality traits to understand mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.