Personality Characteristics Associated with Attitudes towards the COVID-19 Virus
Open Access
- 1 January 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Scientific Research Publishing, Inc. in Psychology
- Vol. 12 (08), 1217-1229
- https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2021.128076
Abstract
Background: We examined the presence of five maladaptive personality trait domains and 14 personality disorder traits from DSM-5 with regard to attitudes towards the COVID-19 virus, i.e., whether viewed as a serious threat (COVID-19 Group) or not (Denier/Minimizer Group). Method: 146 undergraduate and graduate students in India participated online to answer the questionnaire. Ages ranged from 18 to 33 years old (100 men, 46 women). Results: Consistent with hypotheses, the COVID-19 Group (n = 66) scored significantly higher on the negative affectivity and detachment trait domains and higher on the avoidant and depressive personality disorder traits than the Denier/Minimizer Group (n = 77). Contrary to hypotheses, the COVID-19 Group scored significantly higher on the disinhibition trait domain and Borderline personality disorder scale. Importantly, 20.3% of the COVID-19 Group endorsed the current suicidal ideation item compared to only 11.7% of the Denier/Minimizer Group. While a greater percentage of the COVID-19 Group adhered to the pandemic precautions, a majority of participants in both groups were compliant with social distancing, handwashing/sanitizing, and face-masking. Conclusion: Gaining an understanding of these personality variations might assist in establishing efficient public health actions to mitigate health threats.Keywords
This publication has 15 references indexed in Scilit:
- Personality differences and COVID-19: are extroversion and conscientiousness personality traits associated with engagement with containment measures?Trends in Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, 2020
- Human needs in COVID-19 isolationJournal of Health Psychology, 2020
- COVID-19, SARS and MERS: are they closely related?Clinical Microbiology & Infection, 2020
- Voter Perceptions of President Donald Trump’s Personality Disorder Traits: Implications of Political AffiliationClinical Psychological Science, 2020
- Return of the Coronavirus: 2019-nCoVViruses, 2020
- The dark side of work valuesCurrent Psychology, 2018
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental DisordersPublished by American Psychiatric Association Publishing ,2013
- Psychometric properties of a brief inventory for the screening of personality disorders: The SCATIPsychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 2010
- Personality traits as correlates of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide completions: a systematic reviewActa Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2006
- The Predictive Power of Horney?s Psychoanalytic Approach: An Empirical StudyThe American Journal of Psychoanalysis, 2004