Conscientiousness and Internalizing Symptoms in Adolescence

Abstract: Conscientiousness is negatively associated with adolescent internalizing symptoms, but factors that might moderate this relationship have not been extensively investigated. The present research examined whether negative affect – a major risk factor for adolescent mental health problems – moderated the association between conscientiousness and internalizing symptoms. Three independent samples of Serbian adolescents ( N = 1,376, age range = 15–19) were recruited. Adolescents with higher levels of conscientiousness reported lower levels of internalizing symptoms (depression in Samples 1 and 2; global internalizing problems in Sample 3). We also found evidence that high negative affect, assessed both as a dispositional trait and a negative mood, strengthened the relationship between conscientiousness and internalizing symptoms. The pattern of results was highly similar across the three samples. These findings highlight the importance of integrating personality and affective processes in understanding adolescent internalizing problems.