The Interplay of Personality Traits and Psychological Well-Being: Insights from a Study of Italian Undergraduates

Objectives: The mental health and well-being of university students are crucial areas of research due to their significant impact on academic success, personal development, and overall life satisfaction. Since previous research consistently shows that the stress related to academic challenges can significantly affect mental health, the study aims to examine the relationship between personality traits, locus of control, and psychological well-being outcomes. Methods: In the present study, 67 Italian undergraduate students (19.45 ± 1.62 years) were evaluated to assess the connections between personality traits, locus of control, and key psychological outcomes including depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and subjective memory complaints. Results: The analyses of the collected variables revealed a strong interrelationship between stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia, contributing to a general construct termed psychological well-being disturbances (PWBD). When considering the Big Five personality traits, a significant positive association with internal control and mindfulness levels was observed both for extraversion and conscientiousness, while neuroticism was associated with increased external control and subjective memory complaints. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of understanding personality traits in shaping psychological well-being and coping mechanisms among students. Educational institutions should consider incorporating personality-based approaches into their support systems, as fostering traits linked to better psychological well-being, such as extraversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness, may help mitigate the negative impact of stress and anxiety commonly experienced in academic settings.