Trait Versus State: The Differential Impact of Personality Traits, Coping Behaviors and Cognitions on Depression and Anxiety

The present study aims to investigate the differential impact of different types of variables on depression and anxiety. In particular, the impact of trait-variables (i.e., personality measured with the brief Big Five Inventory (BFI-10)) are contrasted against state-variables, including unhelpful coping behavior (measured with CAS-1) and cognitions including positive metacognitions and negative metacognitions (both measured with CAS-1).

Personality is defined as a set of traits that is relatively consistent over time and situation, and is subsequently less susceptible as a target mechanisms for therapy. Still, researchers have devoted great efforts toward describing personality traits as related to different psychopathological disorders. Consequently, the present study aims to investigate the differential associations of traits (i.e., personality) versus state variables (metacognitions and coping behaviors) on depression and anxiety.

The findings of the present study will provide important insights in finding important associations between trait and state variables in relation to psychopathology, providing an important foundation for further directional investigations with temporal data

Hypothesis 1: Neuroticism measured with (BFI-10), positive metacognitions, negative metacognitions, and unhelpful coping strategies (the latter three measured with CAS-1), will predict higher levels of depression and anxiety.

Research Question 1: How and to what extent are different traits related measured with BFI-10 related to depression and anxiety in the present pandemic sample?

Research Question 2: Are the trait or state variables most strongly associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms? This question will be investigated using part correlations in the multiple regression analyses.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Depression; Anxiety
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Prospective study with two measurement points investigating the impact of viral mitigation protocols on mental health

Detailed Description

Hypothesis 1: Neuroticism measured with (BFI-10), positive metacognitions, negative metacognitions, and unhelpful coping strategies (the latter three measured with CAS-1), will predict higher levels of depression and anxiety.

Research Question 1: How and to what extent are different traits related measured with BFI-10 related to depression and anxiety in the present pandemic sample?

Research Question 2: Are the trait or state variables most strongly associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms? This question will be investigated using part correlations in the multiple regression analyses.

Statistical analysis:

Two hierarchical regression analyses will be conducted. 1) with PHQ-9 as the dependent variable; and 2) the second with GAD-7 at as the dependent variable. Both analyses will include the following variables and the following steps: In step 1, the demographic variables age, gender, and education will be included in the model. In step 2 two, the trait-variables (i.e., all five personality traits measured with BFI-10) will be included. In the final step, the three state-variables positive metacognitions, negative metacognitions (CAS-1), and unhelpful coping strategies (CAS-1) will be included.

Part correlations will be reported for each regression analysis, presenting the effect size of the hypothesized predictors on depression and anxiety. A part (semi-partial) correlation gives the least biased and easiest interpretable estimate of the strength of a predictive relationship (Dudgeon, 2016). It is the correlation between the outcome and the aspects of the predictor unique from all the other predictors. As a type of correlation, its size can be evaluated according to Cohen's (1988) criteria: small >=0.10, medium >=0.30, large >=0.50.

Both analysis include the following 5 trait-predictor variables: Neuroticism (BFI-10), Openness (BFI-10), Conscientiousness (BFI-10), Extroversion-Introversion (BFI-10), and Agreeableness (BFI-10).

The state-predictor variables are as mentioned: positive metacognitions (CAS-1 subscale); negative metacognitions (CAS-1 subscale); unhelpful coping behaviors (CAS-1 subscale).

Multicollinearity and other statistical assumptions will be checked using examined. Multicollinearity will be assessed with common guidelines (VIF < 5 and Tolerance > 0.2; Hocking, 2003; O'Brian, 2007).

If any further analyses or questions are addressed in the forthcoming paper that are not pre-specified in this pre-registered protocol, they will be explicitly defined as exploratory.

Sensitivity analyses and random subsample replications of the main findings will be conducted following selection of a random sample of participants that ensure a proportionate ratio between the collected sample and the adult population of Norway.

Sample size and power calculation:

The present study is part of a larger project with the first part aiming to investigate information source predictors of mental health through regression analyses, and the second part aiming to examine directional relations amongst specific sources of information and their centrality through complex systems approaches (i.e., network analysis). Consequently, power calculations are based on power required for network analyses. Following power analysis guidelines by Fried & Cramer (2017), it is recommended that the number of participants are three times larger than the number of estimated parameters. However, more conservative recommendations by Roscoe (1975) for multivariate research, recommends sample size that is ten times larger than the number of estimated parameters. Thus, following these two approaches respectively, between 1305 to 4350 participants are required. Data will be collected for three weeks, and participants are based on a representative and random sample of Norwegian adults, randomly selected and provided equal opportunity to partake in the study, providing digital consent.

Missing data:

The TSD system (Services for Sensitive Data), a platform used in Norway to store person-sensitive data verifies participants officially through a kind of national ID number to give them full right to withdraw their data at any time, following the European GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) laws. Accordingly, participants are allowed to withdraw their own data at any time. The survey includes mandatory fields of response. Participation is voluntarily, and withdrawal of provided data is possible at any moment. The investigators do not expect participants to withdraw their data and thus expect no missing data. However, if participants do withdraw their data, the investigators will conduct state-of-art missing data analyses and investigate whether data is missing at random.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 4000

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: N/A
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

All adults above 18 years residing in Norway and thus experiencing identical mitigation protocols are invited to participate the study, reaching randomly online with an equal opportunity of participating.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Eligible participants are all adults including those of 18 years and above,
• Who are currently living in Norway and thus experiencing identical NPIs, and
• Who will provide digital consent to partake in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children and adolescents (individuals below 18)
• Adults not residing in Norway during the measurement period

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Observational Models: Other
• Time Perspectives: Prospective

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Patient Health Questionnaire 9	The Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9; Kroenke, Spitzer & Williams, 2001) is used to measure symptoms of depression in accordance with the diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder. The questionnaire consists of nine items where each is scored on a four-point Likert scale (0-3), with the range of scores from 0 to 27. Higher scores indicate greater depression severity, and scores above 10 are considered as the cut-off that indicating that the patient is within the depressive area	Data is set to be collected starting from 22nd of June until enough data has been collected. The data collection period will last no longer than three weeks
Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7	The Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7; Spitzer, Kroenke, Williams & Löwe, 2006) is a questionnaire consisting of seven items measuring symptoms of anxiety and worry. The items are scored on a four-point Likert scale (0-3), with the scores ranging from 0 to 21. Specific cut-off for Norwegian samples have been found yielding a cut-off of 8 and above for high sensitivity and specificity (Johnson, Ulvenes, Øktedalen & Hoffart, 2019).	Data is set to be collected starting from 22nd of June until enough data has been collected. The data collection period will last no longer than three weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Oslo
• Collaborators: Modum Bad

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Kroenke K, Spitzer RL, Williams JB. The PHQ-9: validity of a brief depression severity measure. J Gen Intern Med. 2001 Sep;16(9):606-13. doi: 10.1046/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x.
• Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB, Lowe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006 May 22;166(10):1092-7. doi: 10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092.
• Johnson SU, Ulvenes PG, Oktedalen T, Hoffart A. Psychometric Properties of the General Anxiety Disorder 7-Item (GAD-7) Scale in a Heterogeneous Psychiatric Sample. Front Psychol. 2019 Aug 6;10:1713. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01713. eCollection 2019.
• Nordahl H, Ebrahimi OV, Hoffart A, Johnson SU. Trait Versus State Predictors of Emotional Distress Symptoms: The Role of the Big-5 Personality Traits, Metacognitive Beliefs, and Strategies. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2022 Jun 21. doi: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000001557. Online ahead of print.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Anticipated): June 22, 2020
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): July 13, 2020
• Study Completion (Anticipated): July 13, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 19, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 19, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): June 23, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 24, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 22, 2020
• Last Verified: June 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Mental Disorders; Mood Disorders; Depression; Depressive Disorder; Anxiety Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: REK125510-14

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No