A Trait Theory Perspective on Generalized Anxiety Disorder

“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.” — Carl Jung.

Generalized Anxiety through the Five-Factor Model

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is marked by persistent worry and emotional dysregulation that compromises daily functioning (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2022; Zhang, 2024). From the perspective of trait theory and the Five-Factor Model (FFM), GAD reflects enduring personality structures that predispose individuals to chronic negative affect (Cervone & Pervin, 2023; Paunonen & Hong, 2015; Watson & Naragon-Gainey, 2014). Previously observed in this context through the works of Mammadov et al. (2024) and Pawlak et al. (2024), this perspective has been expanded and further supported. The Five-Factor Model (FFM) of personality includes neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness (Cervone & Pervin, 2023; Paunonen & Hong, 2015). Each factor represents a broad domain of individual differences in affect, behavior, and cognition (Cervone & Pervin, 2023; Paunonen & Hong, 2015). Among these, high neuroticism is most consistently and strongly associated with GAD, reflecting emotional instability and negative affectivity at a chronic level (Aguirre et al., 2024; Watson & Naragon-Gainey, 2014). Low extraversion and conscientiousness also show moderate associations due to their links with reduced positive affect and impaired emotion regulation (Aguirre et al., 2024; Watson & Naragon-Gainey, 2014). These traits contribute directly and indirectly to GAD through maladaptive emotion regulation strategies and lower distress tolerance (Aguirre et al., 2024). This dispositional orientation toward distress, worry, and fear underlies a significant proportion of emotional disorders, including GAD (APA, 2022; Watson & Naragon-Gainey, 2014; Zhang, 2024).

Trait-Based Personality Structure and Process Underlying GAD

Trait theory views personality structure as biologically and psychologically rooted dimensions that remain relatively stable over time (Cervone & Pervin, 2023; Paunonen & Hong, 2015). The FFM central trait of neuroticism strongly correlates with GAD symptoms, including the generalized distress, apprehension, and emotional lability experienced (APA, 2022; Watson & Naragon-Gainey, 2014; Zhang, 2024). Individuals high in neuroticism often struggle with emotion regulation and exhibit low distress tolerance, which may amplify the frequency and intensity of worry characteristic of GAD (APA, 2022; Aguirre et al., 2024; Zhang, 2024). The process dimension of personality encompasses momentary dynamics such as emotional reactivity and regulatory mechanisms (Cervone & Pervin, 2023). For individuals with GAD, maladaptive processes like expressive suppression and fixation into distress may aggravate anxious states (Aguirre et al., 2024). The trait dispositions of high neuroticism and low extraversion influence these regulatory strategies (Aguirre et al., 2024). They may make anxious individuals more prone to heightened emotional reactivity and less capable of employing coping strategies and adaptive approaches like cognitive reassessment (Aguirre et al., 2024).

Developmental and Clinical Implications of GAD under Trait Theory

From a growth and development perspective, personality traits are shaped by both genetic and environmental influences but exhibit relative stability across the lifespan (Cervone & Pervin, 2023; Paunonen & Hong, 2015). Traits like neuroticism may emerge early and persist, contributing to increased vulnerability to GAD (Watson & Naragon-Gainey, 2014). However, contextual factors such as culture, socialization, and stress exposure modulate their expression (Cervone & Pervin, 2023; Aguirre et al., 2024). Regarding psychopathology and therapeutic change, trait theory acknowledges that while traits are not easily altered, their maladaptive expressions can be managed (Cervone & Pervin, 2023; Paunonen & Hong, 2015). Interventions aimed at improving emotion regulation and distress tolerance instead of pursuing the traits themselves can reduce anxiety severity (Watson & Naragon-Gainey, 2014). These trait-informed therapeutic approaches may enhance coping abilities and help individuals navigate emotional vulnerabilities more effectively (Aguirre et al., 2024; Watson & Naragon-Gainey, 2014).

Closing Thoughts

Trait theory offers a unique perspective and supporting frameworks for understanding GAD as the expression of enduring personality dispositions (Cervone & Pervin, 2023; Paunonen & Hong, 2015; Watson & Naragon-Gainey, 2014). It is suggested that integrating awareness of structural traits with emotional processes enhances the effectiveness of interventions and management strategies for anxiety symptoms and may improve psychological resilience long-term (Aguirre et al., 2024; Mammadov et al., 2024; Pawlak et al., 2024; Watson & Naragon-Gainey, 2014). Future discussions will explore behaviorist and cognitive/social-cognitive perspectives on GAD, further expanding the understanding of personality structures and therapeutic change.

I invite readers to join this advancing conversation.

References:

Aguirre, P., Michelini, Y., Bravo, A. J., Pautassi, R. M., & Pilatti, A. (2024). Association between personality traits and symptoms of depression and anxiety via emotional regulation and distress tolerance. PLoS ONE, 19(7). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0306146

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.; DSM-5-TR).

Cervone, D., & Pervin, L. A. (2023). Personality: Theory and research (15th ed.). Wiley.

Mammadov, S., Wang, S., & Lu, Z. (2024). Personality types and their associations with psychological resilience, coping with stress, and life satisfaction among undergraduate students: A latent profile analysis approach. Personality and Individual Differences, 222, 112599.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2024.112599

Paunonen, S. V., & Hong, R. Y. (2015). On the properties of personality traits. In M. Mikulincer, P. R. Shaver, M. L. Cooper, & R. J. Larsen (Eds.), APA handbook of personality and social psychology: Vol. 4. Personality processes and individual differences (pp. 233–259). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/14343-011

Pawlak, M., Schmidtler, H., & Kopala-Sibley, D. C. (2024). Neuroticism and extraversion as predictors of first-lifetime onsets of depression, anxiety, and suicidality in high-risk adolescents. Development and Psychopathology. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579424000130

Watson, D., & Naragon-Gainey, K. (2014). Personality, emotions, and the emotional disorders. Clinical Psychological Science, 2(4), 422–442. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702614536162

Zhang, Z. (2024). A comprehensive overview on the generalized anxiety disorder – etiology and treatment. SHS Web of Conferences, 193, 03008. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202419303008