Personality and Mental Health

On October 10, 2024, countries worldwide observed World Mental Health Day. In Singapore, initiatives aimed to integrate mental health into healthcare systems were introduced. The UK provided free resources to address workplace burnout, while Australia held workshops on reducing stress and supporting employee mental health.

According to the WHO, “Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community.” There are several components that contribute to mental health for effective functioning and one of them is emotional stability. Emotional stability, the inverse of neuroticism (a tendency toward negative emotions), is a key factor. Interestingly, the World Happiness Report (2022) indicates that genetic factors account for 31-47% of the variance in well-being, connecting traits like neuroticism with mental health outcomes.

Neuroticism is linked to anxiety, moodiness and self-consciousness with a higher tendency to experience guilt and depression. individuals with high neuroticism tend to be vulnerable to stress, possess poor coping mechanisms and have difficulties navigating interpersonal relationships. However, it does not mean that high emotional responsive people cannot thrive. 

Highly emotional responsive people can still function as any other ordinary person. With support, understanding and mentoring, they can thrive at what they are doing. Exercise, mindfulness and even reframing their thinking can mitigate the negative effects of neuroticism and enhance well-being.

In DISCAsiaPlus, we have reframed “Neuroticism” as “Emotional Response,” removing the stigma associated with the negative labelling of neuroticism. It’s simply about whether you have a heightened or reduced sense of emotional response. The significance of including emotional response in the DISC model lies in how the behaviours of the Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance dimensions are influenced by these emotional responses. As a playwright artist once said, “Your emotions make you human. Even the unpleasant ones have a purpose.” Can any personality profiling disregard this crucial fifth dimension?