The Role of Extraversion in the Effectiveness of Leisure Coping on Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

Research suggests that leisure is as an effective coping strategy for depression. The foundational theory of lei-sure coping assumes that leisure coping can be benefi-cial in three ways: mood enhancement, diversion, and companionship. While theorists asserted that the above three strategies are universal, research suggests that the personality trait of extraversion is associated with leisure behavior and may affect the effectiveness of leisure cop-ing strategies. The current study aimed to examine the role of extraversion in the relationship between leisure coping and depressive symptoms. A total of 155 adults with depression (59 males and 96 females) were recruit-ed from four different depression-related venues and responded to an online survey. The results of multiple regression analyses found that extraversion did not affect the relationship of leisure palliative coping and mood en-hancement; however, it significantly moderated the rela-tionship between leisure companionship and depressive symptoms. While a significant negative association be-tween leisure companionship and depressive symptoms was found among extroverts, no significant relationship was observed among introverts. The results suggest that the personality trait of extraversion matters to leisure coping and should be considered to better facilitate rec-reational therapy interventions.