Personality as predictor of mental health and happiness in the East and West

Despite increasing interest in the psychology of happiness, there have been few cross-cultural studies on personality correlates of happiness. This study examines personality (EPQ) and demographic correlates of happiness and mental health in Britain, China (Hong Kong) and Japan among comparable groups. Compared to similar groups in China and Japan, British participants reported higher levels of happiness, mental health and extraversion. However, there were fewer than chance sex differences on the various measures. Correlational analysis in all three countries showed extraversion to be a major correlate of happiness (r = 0.50), while neuroticism was shown to be a correlate of mental health (r = 0.65). Regressions performed separately for happiness and mental health showed a remarkably similar pattern across the three cultures, with personality accounting for around 20% of the common variance. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.