Personality predictors of engagement with an online mental health intervention
Presentation Type
Abstract
Faculty Advisor
Jazmin Reyes-Portillo
Access Type
Event
Start Date
25-4-2025 1:30 PM
End Date
25-4-2025 2:29 PM
Description
Background: Online mental health interventions have the potential to be a valuable resource for college students at-risk for suicide given, their anonymity, affordability and accessibility. Yet, low student uptake and adherence has limited the public health impact of these interventions. Scant research has examined predictors of engagement in online mental health interventions, particularly personality traits. Objective: This study aimed to examine whether personality traits predict engagement with an online mental health intervention. Method: Participants were 30 students with elevated depression and/or anxiety symptoms and active suicidal ideation who participated in an open trial assessing an engagement intervention to increase student use of TAO, an online intervention. Of these, 33.3% (n=10) were Latinx, 30% (n=9) were Black, and 73.3% (n=22) self-identified as female. The Big Five Inventory was used to measure the participant’s personality traits, including Conscientiousness, Openness, Extraversion, Acceptability, and Neuroticism. Intervention engagement was assessed using the number of sessions completed. Depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed via the PHQ-9 and SCAARED, respectively. Results: Pearsons correlations revealed that higher levels of conscientiousness was associated with students completing at least half of the recommended TAO sessions [r(24) = 0.48, p = 0.017]. Greater severity of anxiety [r(12) = 0.63, p = 0.028] and depression symptoms [r(12) = 0.70, p = 0.011] were also related to at least half of TAO sessions being completed. Discussion: These findings suggest that it may be beneficial to consider personality traits when examining the reasons for low student uptake and how to mitigate these limitations.
Personality predictors of engagement with an online mental health intervention
Background: Online mental health interventions have the potential to be a valuable resource for college students at-risk for suicide given, their anonymity, affordability and accessibility. Yet, low student uptake and adherence has limited the public health impact of these interventions. Scant research has examined predictors of engagement in online mental health interventions, particularly personality traits. Objective: This study aimed to examine whether personality traits predict engagement with an online mental health intervention. Method: Participants were 30 students with elevated depression and/or anxiety symptoms and active suicidal ideation who participated in an open trial assessing an engagement intervention to increase student use of TAO, an online intervention. Of these, 33.3% (n=10) were Latinx, 30% (n=9) were Black, and 73.3% (n=22) self-identified as female. The Big Five Inventory was used to measure the participant’s personality traits, including Conscientiousness, Openness, Extraversion, Acceptability, and Neuroticism. Intervention engagement was assessed using the number of sessions completed. Depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed via the PHQ-9 and SCAARED, respectively. Results: Pearsons correlations revealed that higher levels of conscientiousness was associated with students completing at least half of the recommended TAO sessions [r(24) = 0.48, p = 0.017]. Greater severity of anxiety [r(12) = 0.63, p = 0.028] and depression symptoms [r(12) = 0.70, p = 0.011] were also related to at least half of TAO sessions being completed. Discussion: These findings suggest that it may be beneficial to consider personality traits when examining the reasons for low student uptake and how to mitigate these limitations.
Comments
Poster presentation at the 2025 Student Research Symposium.