Protective factors against depression: the role of personality, spiritual fitness, and positive mental health in a two-wave longitudinal study of Polish adults.

ABSTRACT: Depression represents a major global mental health challenge, yet protective factors that enhance resilience against depressive symptoms remain insufficiently understood. This two-wave longitudinal study examined prospective relationships between personality traits, spiritual fitness dimensions, positive mental health, and depressive symptoms in Polish adults over six months, determining their relative contributions and investigating mediational pathways. A total of 385 participants completed baseline assessments, with 158 completing six-month follow-up. The combined model explained 41.4% of variance in depressive symptoms. Positive mental health emerged as the strongest protective factor, demonstrating substantially larger effects than individual personality traits. Among personality dime

SUBMITTER: Baran P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12749973 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature