Research published in PLOS ONE indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic seems to alter personality, particularly in younger persons. Younger adults were found to be more moody, more prone to stress, less cooperative and trustworthy, and less restrained and responsible due to the pandemic′s widespread stressor.

Researchers compared the five-factor model personality traits of neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness using longitudinal personality assessments of 7,109 adults who took part in the online Understanding America Study.

Younger adults (those under 30) experienced disrupted development, as seen in the later stages of the pandemic by increased neuroticism and decreased agreeableness and conscientiousness. The older group of adults did not exhibit any statistically significant alterations, whereas middle-aged persons (those between the ages of 30 and 64) did.

Only a slight drop in neuroticism was observed in the study between pre-pandemic and early pandemic assessments. However, there were decreases in extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness between the pre-pandemic personality and the 2021–2022 data. The adjustments were around one-tenth of a standard deviation, or roughly one decade of typical personality change.

Experts concluded that it was still unclear whether these alterations would be short-lived or long-lasting, but if they did, they might have long-term effects.

Source: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220928/COVID-19-pandemic-may-have-caused-personality-changes-in-younger-adults-research-finds.aspx