Personality traits as predictors of depression, anxiety, and stress with secondary school students of final years

Abstract

The main aim of this research is to examine the predictive power of personality traits, as defined by the Big five model of personality in expressing depression, anxiety, and stress with secondary school students of final years. The research was conducted on a sample of 977 secondary school students in the third and fourth grade from ten secondary schools in Niš. The gender structure of the sample was as follows: 397 boys and 607 girls. The following instruments were used in the research: Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21; Lovibond and Lovibond, 1995), Big Five Inventory-BFI (John, Donahue and Kentle, 1991). The results showed that the regression model constructed by personal traits (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness to experience) explain 26% of the criterion variable of Anxiety. The largest individual contribution to the prediction of this variable is achieved by the personal trait Neuroticism (β=.34, p<0.01). Other personal traits that contribute to the prediction of this variable at a statistically significant level are Extraversion (β=-.17, p<0.01), Agreeableness (β=-.14, p<0.01) and Conscientiousness (β=-.17, p<0.01). The same model explains 37% of the criterion variable Stress. The largest individual contribution to Stress prediction is achieved by the personal trait Neuroticism (β=.57, p<0.01). The same model explains 27% of the criterion variable Anxiety as well. The largest individual contribution to the prediction of this variable is achieved by the personal trait Neuroticism (β=.45, p<0.01), whereas a statistically significant correlation between personal traits Agreeableness (β=-.06, p<0.05) and Conscientious (β=-.12, p<0.01) exists. Results show that the difference between boys and girls in expressing Anxiety (t=-2.96, p<0.01) and Stress (t=-5.01, p<0.01) exists. These emotional states are more expressive with girls. However, there are no differences in expressing Depression, Anxiety, and Stress with secondary school students of the third and fourth grade on the examined sample.