While there have been several studies devoted to how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected mental health in various genders, ages, and ethnicities, less attention has been given to the effect of lockdown on differentiating personality types.
The study found that individuals that were identified as extroverts experienced higher deterioration in their mental health than other, more introverted, personality types during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The University of Glasgow was able to prove this by accessing data provided by UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) from this year and the year before on mental health issues during lockdowns. This involved at 12-question General Health Questionnaire - a self-report for evaluating minor psychiatric disorders that generates an aggregate score for participants' mental health.It used personality classification based on the "Big Five" traits which are: neuroticism (or emotional stability), extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness.
The study found that females with high levels of openness, which reflects preferences for exploration and new experiences, and high levels of cognitive skills, were heavily affected by the lockdown and reported more symptoms of mental health deterioration.Personalities with low agreeableness predicted more mental health deterioration as well.
Understanding how different personalities react to an extreme condition can give us more information on the link between personality and mental health.
“Our research highlights that mental health is a prominent and complex issue that requires policy priority," said co-author Dr. Anwen Zhang
"It is necessary to understand that people respond to circumstances and policies in different ways, and policy must reflect this when it comes to addressing differential needs of the population.”