Neuroticism linked to mood swings and negative emotions.
People with higher neuroticism, a personality trait linked to mental health risks, experience amplified negative emotions and higher mood variability, according to a study by psychologists at Leipzig University. The researchers used a novel approach from Bayesian statistics to analyze 13 longitudinal datasets and found that neurotic people exhibit more frequent mood swings and often experience stronger self-critical feelings or responses to external criticism. Neuroticism levels are typically highest in late adolescence, after which they decrease and stabilize as individuals reach adulthood. Women and individuals with lower socio-economic status have been found to have higher neuroticism scores than others.