Personality correlates of hopelessness in depressed inpatients 50 years of age and older

In this study we examined the relationship between scores on the Beck Hopelessness Scale (Beck, Weissman, Lester, & Trexler, 1974) and the personality traits that constitute the Five-Factor Model in a sample of 77 depressed inpatients, 50 years of age and older. Multiple regression analyses showed that Hopelessness is related to low Extraversion domain scores, and to specific facets of both Extraversion (low positive emotions) and Neuroticism (low self-consciousness, high impulsiveness). Efforts to tie Hopelessness with the motivational, affective, and interpersonal constructs subsumed under Extraversion are warranted.