A Multilevel Analysis of the Effect of Individual and Family Personalities on Depressive Symptoms in Families with College Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine associations between individual and family personality and depressive symptoms in Korean families with college students. This pilot study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of recruiting and collecting data from families and to analyze data using Multilevel Modeling. A total of 195 family members (65 fathers, 65 mothers, and 65 college-student children) participated in this study. The collected data were analyzed using Multilevel modeling. Our analysis revealed that individual-level neuroticism was positively related to depressive symptoms and conscientiousness was negatively related to depressive symptoms. Also, family-level agreeableness was related to lower depressive symptoms, whereas family conscientiousness was related to higher depressive symptom levels. These results suggested that personality factors could be used to identify individuals and families at risk for depression and to develop tailored intervention for both individuals and families.