From the Guidelines
Changes in personality traits can be influenced by a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychosocial factors, with research suggesting that targeted strategies and therapies can lead to meaningful personality shifts 1. When considering the causes of changes in personality traits, it's essential to look at the most recent and highest quality studies.
Key Factors Influencing Personality Traits
- Genetic predisposition: While there is a genetic component to personality, it is not the sole determining factor, and environmental influences play a significant role 1.
- Environmental factors: Changes in environment, such as moving to a new home or changing schools, can contribute to psychiatric or behavioral symptoms, particularly in individuals with intellectual disability or intellectual developmental disorder 1.
- Psychosocial challenges: Stressful life events, trauma, abuse, and relational difficulties can trigger psychiatric and behavioral symptoms, highlighting the importance of addressing these factors in therapy 1.
- Therapeutic interventions: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) have been shown to be effective in promoting positive changes in personality traits, with significant modifications typically taking 3-6 months of consistent effort 1.
Importance of Dimensional Approaches
The shift towards dimensional approaches in psychiatric classification, as seen in the ICD-11, acknowledges the complexity of personality disorders and the need for a more nuanced understanding of symptom severity and psychological dysfunctions 1. By recognizing the dimensional nature of personality traits, clinicians can develop more effective treatment plans that address the unique needs of each individual, ultimately leading to better outcomes in terms of morbidity, mortality, and quality of life 1.
From the FDA Drug Label
The following symptoms, anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsivity, akathisia (psychomotor restlessness), hypomania, and mania, have been reported in adult and pediatric patients being treated with antidepressants for major depressive disorder as well as for other indications, both psychiatric and nonpsychiatric Although a causal link between the emergence of such symptoms and either the worsening of depression and/or the emergence of suicidal impulses has not been established, there is concern that such symptoms may represent precursors to emerging suicidality New or sudden changes in mood, behavior, actions, thoughts, or feelings, especially if severe. Pay particular attention to such changes when sertraline is started or when the dose is changed.
Changes in personality traits may be caused by the emergence of symptoms such as anxiety, agitation, panic attacks, insomnia, irritability, hostility, aggressiveness, impulsivity, akathisia, hypomania, and mania, which have been reported in patients taking sertraline. These symptoms may represent precursors to emerging suicidality. It is essential to monitor patients for new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, actions, thoughts, or feelings, especially when starting or changing the dose of sertraline 2.
From the Research
Factors Influencing Personality Trait Changes
- Personality traits can be changed through intervention, with studies suggesting that targeted interventions can lead to significant changes in personality traits 3, 4
- Behavioral interventions, such as Behavioral Activation (BA), can be used to change personality traits, particularly conscientiousness, by targeting core behaviors that underlie personality traits 3
- Digital interventions, such as the PEACH (PErsonality coACH) smartphone application, can also be effective in changing personality traits, with participants showing significant self-reported changes compared to a waitlist control group 4
Volitional Personality Change
- Most people want to change one or more of their personality traits, with around 60.40% of college students from 55 countries reporting that they are currently trying to change their personalities 5
- The most common goals for personality change are to increase emotional stability, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness 5
- People who are trying to change their personality traits tend to have relatively low levels of emotional stability and happiness, and those with relatively low levels of socially desirable traits reported attempting to increase what they lacked 5
Maintenance of Personality Trait Changes
- Changes in personality traits due to a targeted intervention can be maintained over time, with one study finding that personality trait changes achieved remained stable or even changed further in the desired direction at a 1-year follow-up 6
- Interventions that train participants to generate implementation intentions can catalyze their ability to attain trait changes, suggesting that people may be able to change their self-reported personality traits through volitional means 7