title: The associations between personality characteristics and absenteeism: a cross-sectional study in workers with and without depressive and anxiety disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although numerous studies have identified risk factors for sickness absence, few studies have addressed the role of personality characteristics in absenteeism. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of the Big 5 personality characteristics (neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness) and locus of control with absenteeism, taking the presence of depressive and anxiety disorders into account.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional data from the baseline measurement of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) were examined. NESDA includes persons with current or remitted depressive and anxiety disorders and healthy controls, of which 1883 working participants were selected. Personality characteristics were included as predictor variables, short-term (0-2 weeks) and long-term (>2 weeks) absenteeism as outcome measure. The presence of depressive and anxiety disorders was considered as modifying covariate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In healthy workers, high neuroticism, external locus of control, low extraversion, low agreeableness and low conscientiousness were associated with short-term absenteeism. In addition, high neuroticism, low extraversion and low openness were related to long-term absenteeism in healthy workers. In workers with psychopathology, similar associations were found for persons with this profile (high neuroticism, external locus of control, low extraversion and low conscientiousness) with long-term absenteeism, but no associations of these characteristics were found with short-term absenteeism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Personality characteristics were significantly associated with work absenteeism in both workers with and without anxiety or depression. Interventions aimed at preventing sickness absence may focus on reducing neuroticism and strengthening extraversion, conscientiousness and locus of control.
authors.affiliation: Diagnostics and Treatment, Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, the Trimbos-institute, PO Box 725, 3500 AS Utrecht, The Netherlands. moniekvlasveld@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Moniek C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Vlasveld
authors.forename: Christina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: van der Feltz-Cornelis
authors.forename: Johannes R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Anema
authors.forename: Willem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van Mechelen
authors.forename: Aartjan T F
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Beekman
authors.forename: Harm W J
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: van Marwijk
authors.forename: Brenda W J H
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Penninx
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D010551:Personality; D012307:Risk Factors