The Associations Between Personality Characteristics and Absenteeism: a Cross-Sectional Study in Workers With and Without Depressive and Anxiety Disorders Moniek C. Vlasveld • Christina M. van der Feltz-Cornelis • Johannes R. Anema • Willem van Mechelen • Aartjan T. F. Beekman • Harm W. J. van Marwijk • Brenda W. J. H. Penninx Published online: 21 November 2012 Ó Springer Science+Business Media New York 2012 Abstract Purpose Although numerous studies have identified risk factors for sickness absence, few studies have addressed the role of personality characteristics in absenteeism. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of the Big 5 personality characteristics (neu- roticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness and con- scientiousness) and locus of control with absenteeism, taking the presence of depressive and anxiety disorders into account. Methods Cross-sectional data from the baseline measurement of the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) were examined. NESDA includes per- sons with current or remitted depressive and anxiety dis- orders and healthy controls, of which 1883 working participants were selected. Personality characteristics were included as predictor variables, short-term (0–2 weeks) and long-term ( [ 2 weeks) absenteeism as outcome measure. The presence of depressive and anxiety disorders was considered as modifying covariate. Results In healthy workers, high neuroticism, external locus of control, low extraversion, low agreeableness and low conscientiousness were associated with short-term absenteeism. In addition, high neuroticism, low extraversion and low openness were related to long-term absenteeism in healthy workers. In workers with psychopathology, similar associations were found for persons with this profile (high neuroticism, external locus of control, low extraversion and low con- scientiousness) with long-term absenteeism, but no asso- ciations of these characteristics were found with short-term absenteeism. Conclusions Personality characteristics were significantly associated with work absenteeism in both workers with and without anxiety or depression. Interven- tions aimed at preventing sickness absence may focus on M. C. Vlasveld (&) Á C. M. van der Feltz-Cornelis Á B. W. J. H. Penninx Diagnostics and Treatment, Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, the Trimbos-institute, PO Box 725, 3500 AS Utrecht, The Netherlands e-mail: moniekvlasveld@hotmail.com; mvlasveld@trimbos.nl M. C. Vlasveld Á J. R. Anema Á W. van Mechelen Department of Public and Occupational Health, VU University Medical Center, The EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Amsterdam, The Netherlands C. M. van der Feltz-Cornelis Department of Tranzo, University of Tilburg, Tilburg, The Netherlands C. M. van der Feltz-Cornelis GGZ Breburg, Tilburg, The Netherlands J. R. Anema Á W. van Mechelen Research Center for Insurance Medicine AMC-UMCG-UWV-VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands A. T. F. Beekman GGZinGeest, Amsterdam, The Netherlands and Department of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands H. W. J. van Marwijk Department of General Practice, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands B. W. J. H. Penninx Department of Psychiatry, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands B. W. J. H. Penninx Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands B. W. J. H. Penninx Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands 123 J Occup Rehabil (2013) 23:309–317 DOI 10.1007/s10926-012-9406-9