Determination of Personality Types at Risk of Adjustment Disorder Due to COVID-19 Pandemic in Medical Faculty Students

Abstract

Objectives: Besides the direct effect of the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic on human health, its effects on mental health of the vast majority of people worldwide is causing a great concern. Although most of the population is not exposed to the disease directly, experiencing a pandemic and living with the precautions taken against it causes stress and anxiety in people. In the literature it has been shown that the incidence of many mental health problems increases during pandemics. One of the most commonly seen symptoms during the pandemic are related to adjustment disorder. In this study, we investigated the relationship between big five personality traits and adjustment disorder development levels and hypothesized that adjustment disorder development would vary according to personality traits. Materials and Methods: This is a descriptive study and its universe are the students at Marmara University Medical School. Random sampling was applied. Questions related to sociodemographic characteristics, Adjustment Disorder New Module-8 (ADNM-8) and Ten-Item Personality Inventory were completed by the participants by means of an online survey. Results: A total of 355 students participated in the study by random sampling (minimum sample size: 299). The prevalence of adjustment disorder among the participants was found to be 63.1%. The rate of adjustment disorder was higher among women compared to men, among people with a lower income to outcome ratio, and among participants who financially struggled to cope during the pandemic (p<0.001). Number of stressors correlated positively with ADNM-8 score (p<0.001). Among the big five personality traits “conscientiousness” and “emotional stability” were associated with lower rates of adjustment disorder (p<0.001). We also found that all personality traits except “extraversion” were negatively correlated with ADNM-8 score (p<0.05). Conclusion: Although it cannot be revealed as a causality for developing adjustment disorder, the personality trait “extraversion” was found to display elevated risk whereas “conscientiousness” and “emotional stability” factors provided resilience against developing adjustment disorder.