Personality, resilience, and psychopathology: A model for the interaction between slow and fast network processes in the context of mental health

Network theories have been put forward for psychopathology (in which mental disorders originate from causal relations between symptoms) and for personality (in which personality factors originate from coupled equilibria of cognitions, affect states, behaviors, and environments). Here, we connect these theoretical strands in an overarching Personality-Resilience-Psychopathology (PRP) model. In this model, factors in personality networks control the shape of the dynamical landscape in which symptom networks evolve; for example, the neuroticism item “I often feel blue” measures a general tendency to experience negative affect, which is hypothesized to influence the threshold parameter of the symptom “Depressed Mood” in the psychopathology network. Conversely, events at the level of the fast-evolving psychopathology network (e.g., a depressive episode), can influence the slow-evolving personality variables (e.g., by increasing feelings of worthlessness). We apply the theory to neuroticism and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Through simulations, we show that the model can accommodate important phenomena, such as the strong relation between neuroticism and depression, and individual differences in the change of neuroticism levels and development of depression over time. The results of the simulation are implemented in an online, interactive tool. Implications for research into the relationship between personality and psychopathology are discussed.