Restless Legs Syndrome and the five-factor model of personality: Results from a community sample

ObjectiveTo examine personality characteristics as potential mediators of the association between Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and psychiatric disorders.MethodRevised NEO Personality Inventory traits are compared in respondents with (n = 42) versus without (n = 982) a diagnosis of RLS in a general population sample.ResultsRLS was associated with higher neuroticism after adjusting for potential confounders, including current psychopathology. Further analysis showed that the association between RLS and neuroticism contributes to, but does not fully explain, the relationship between RLS and either panic disorder or major depression.ConclusionsNeuroticism may mediate part of the relationship between RLS and depression or panic, but the mechanisms of these associations need further exploration.