Psychiatry International · Published 2026-07-15 · DOI 10.3390/psychiatryint7040156
Maria Monika Nowosadko, Piotr Przymuszała, Aleksandra Jędryszek, Patrycja Marciniak-Stępak, Michał Nowicki
Background: Medical training is characterized by high academic demands, repeated performance evaluation, and sustained exposure to emotionally demanding situations. Although medical student distress has been widely investigated, fewer studies have examined how broad personality traits relate to multidimensional, eudaimonic psychological well-being (PWB), particularly in Central and Eastern European medical student populations. This study examined associations between Big Five personality traits and Ryff’s PWB dimensions among Polish medical students. Methods: A cross-sectional, anonymous paper-and-pencil survey was conducted among 169 Polish medical students. Personality was assessed using the Polish adaptation of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), and PWB was measured using the 84-item Ryff Psychological Well-Being Scales. Descriptive statistics, reliability analyses, normality checks, and bivariate Spearman correlations were used. Results: The global PWB total score was 352.69 (SD = 45.55; observed range 235–450). Among PWB domains, the highest mean score was observed for personal growth (M = 62.86, SD = 8.04), followed by purpose in life (M = 61.76, SD = 10.31), positive relations with others (M = 61.25, SD = 10.94), self-acceptance (M = 57.00, SD = 11.67), autonomy (M = 55.85, SD = 10.58), and environmental mastery (M = 53.97, SD = 10.03). Internal consistency was acceptable to excellent for all PWBS domains (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.796–0.906). Neuroticism was negatively associated with all PWB domains, most strongly with environmental mastery (rho = −0.620) and self-acceptance (rho = −0.618). Conscientiousness was strongly positively associated with environmental mastery (rho = 0.627) and purpose in life (rho = 0.570). Extraversion showed positive associations with self-acceptance, positive relations, environmental mastery, purpose in life, and personal growth. Openness was positively associated with personal growth and negatively associated with environmental mastery, whereas Agreeableness was positively associated with self-acceptance, positive relations, and personal growth, but negatively associated with autonomy. Conclusions: Big Five traits showed domain-specific associations with PWB among Polish medical students. The findings support a differentiated, trait-informed perspective on student well-being, but the cross-sectional design precludes causal inference. Future longitudinal and multi-center studies should clarify temporal relationships and evaluate whether universal or optional well-being supports are differentially useful for students with distinct personality profiles.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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Nowosadko, M., Przymuszała, P., Jędryszek, A., et al. (2026). Associations Between Big Five Personality Traits and Psychological Well-Being Among Polish Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study. Psychiatry International. https://doi.org/10.3390/psychiatryint7040156