It is conceivable that more specific associations were not evident because these analyses focused on broad personality dimensions. Narrow traits that comprise the general dimensions may have stronger associations with depressive disorders. Indeed, self-harm—a component of N/NE that reflects propensity to self-deprecation and self-injury—was found to contribute to depression even after controlling for the broad traits, and this effect was specific relative to other common mental disorders (Watson et al. 2006). With regard to E/PE, evidence is emerging that the positive affectivity facet, but not the sociability/extraversion facet, is related to depression (Durbin et al. 2005, Naragon-Gainey et al. 2009). This may explain the surprisingly modest association between MDD and E/PE, if this general trait includes much variance not relevant to depression. Thus, facet-level research promises to yield stronger and more specific evidence of personality-depression links.
