Do introverts have a higher risk of depression?
A few studies have shown evidence of a link between depression and introversion.
Introversion as a contributing element
According to research from 2001 [3], when other risk factors for depression are present, introversion may contribute to the development of depression, including factors like:
- increased emotions and feeling sensitivity
- Neuroticism, a psychological attribute associated with a propensity towards unfavorable or upsetting emotions
Potential effects of depression on extroverts
On the other hand, other studies raise the possibility that depression makes people more introverted.
A 2012 study [4] looked into the potential long-term personality changes brought on by anxiety and sadness. The personality characteristics at baseline and during a follow-up 2 years later were compared by the study’s authors. They discovered that severe depression or dysthymia (chronic depression) appeared to be associated with higher neuroticism and poorer conscientiousness and extroversion.
Higher conscientiousness, extroversion, and lower neuroticism were all related with successful depression recovery. Extroversion and conscientiousness continued to trend to be lower in post-recovery participants than in those who had never reported depression, but neuroticism tended to be higher.