Maladaptive personality trait change during the first eight months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the German general population

The COVID-19 pandemic, marked by the threat of infection, severe illness, and stringent public health measures, has significantly transformed the lives of individuals. This challenging scenario provides a valuable context for examining the potential impact of such disruption on maladaptive personality traits—dispositions that can lead to distress, impaired functioning, and difficulty adapting to the environment. Using data from the GESIS panel (N = 4,742), which is broadly representative of the German adult population, this study examined maladaptive personality traits based on the Alternative Model for Personality Disorders in DSM-5. Maladaptive traits were assessed twice: four months before (October/November 2019) and eight months after the outbreak of the pandemic in Germany, during its ongoing phase (October/November 2020). Longitudinal measurement invariance was established for all trait domains except detachment. Results show increases in maladaptive traits, particularly antagonism (d = 0.26), disinhibition (0.12), and psychoticism (0.12). Additionally, maladaptive traits were associated with future negative life outcomes. Furthermore, romantic relationship conflict appeared to be a relevant adverse event spurring increases in maladaptive trait levels. Our results suggest a detrimental psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the German population, and shed light on a possible reciprocal amplification between maladaptive traits and adverse life circumstances.