. 2016 Apr 27;11(4):e0154140. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154140

Table 3. Mediation effects of stress in the associations between personality and depression.

		Effect of IV on M		Effect of M on DV		Total effect		Direct effect		Indirect effect
	IV	a^#	SE	b^##	SE	c^$	SE	c'^$ $	SE	a×b^&	CI lower	CI upper
Men	N	0.324^***	0.019	0.428^***	0.023	0.216^***	0.017	0.077^***	0.016	0.139^†	0.113	0.166
	E	-0.149^***	0.019	0.453^***	0.021	-0.139^***	0.016	-0.071^***	0.014	-0.067^†	-0.088	-0.050
	O	-0.043^*	0.019	0.477^***	0.021	-0.036^*	0.016	-0.016	0.013	-0.021^†	-0.042	-0.002
	A	-0.082^***	0.018	0.477^***	0.021	-0.047^**	0.015	-0.008	0.013	-0.039^†	-0.058	-0.022
	C	-0.137^***	0.020	0.468^***	0.021	-0.099^***	0.017	-0.035^*	0.014	-0.064^†	-0.085	-0.045
Women	N	0.360^***	0.013	0.599^***	0.016	0.293^***	0.013	0.077^***	0.012	0.216^†	0.194	0.239
	E	-0.162^***	0.013	0.633^***	0.014	-0.142^***	0.013	-0.039^***	0.010	-0.103^†	-0.120	-0.085
	O	-0.006	0.011	0.645^***	0.014	0.005	0.011	0.009	0.008	-0.004	-0.018	0.011
	A	-0.095^***	0.012	0.647^***	0.014	-0.054^***	0.012	0.007	0.009	-0.061^†	-0.078	-0.045
	C	-0.113^***	0.015	0.643^***	0.014	-0.083^***	0.014	-0.010	0.011	-0.073^†	-0.093	-0.051

Note. N, neuroticism; E, extraversion; O, openness to experience; A, agreeableness; C, conscientiousness; IV, independent variable; DV, dependent variable; M, mediator; SE, standard error; CI, confidence interval

^# a, the effect of each personality factor on stress

^## b the effect of stress on depressive symptoms

^$ c, the total effect of each personality factor on depressive symptoms

^$ $ c’, the direct effect of each personality factor on depressive symptoms

^& a×b, the indirect effect of each personality factor on depressive symptoms via stress

* p<0.05,

**p<0.01,

***p<0.001

^† significant indirect effect