Personalidad, historia de vida y salud mental en población adulta ecuatoriana del Noroeste de la ciudad de Manta en el año 2023

Abstract

Abstract:The general objective of this study was to relate personality traits with mental health indicators in the Ecuadorian adult population in the northwest of the city of Manta. To this end, a quantitative, descriptive, and non-experimental cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample consisted of adults between 18 and 65 years of age, selected through non-probability convenience sampling. Various instruments were used for data collection: a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Big Five Inventory (BFI), and the Ten-Item Personality Inventory (TIPI-10) to assess personality traits; the Young Schema Questionnaire (BRIEF-A) to analyze cognitive patterns; the K-SF-42 to measure life history; and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4) to assess the presence of anxiety and depression. The results revealed that the majority of participants were women (61.8%) and that the average age was 33 years. Personality traits were identified as significantly influencing levels of anxiety and depression, especially neuroticism, which was positively correlated with these mental health indicators. Furthermore, significant differences were found based on gender and life history in the manifestation of emotional problems. In conclusion, the findings highlight the importance of personality traits in mental health and suggest the need for psychological interventions focused on emotional regulation and the prevention of disorders such as anxiety and depression in populations with high neuroticism.