Personality-Stress Vulnerability Models

Abstract

There are multiple models through which stress influences the development and emergence of psychopathology. Likewise, there are multiple models that provide explanations of the associations between personality and psychopathology. Though there has been some integration of these models, focusing on diathesis stress and stress generation models, they have frequently been described in separate literatures. This chapter reviews these models and extends their integration. Throughout the chapter, we draw on studies of children, adolescents, and adults and find strong similarities in the results across development. Further, the literature on how these models operate similarly in and differently across sexes is reviewed. Based on the review, we provide a number of recommendations for future studies.