Exploring the pathways between personality traits, alexithymia, and resilience among medical students and interns: a cross-sectional study in Egypt

Resilience is essential for medical students, yet how personality traits are associated with resilience through alexithymia remains underexplored. This cross-sectional study, conducted from December 2023 to May 2024 using printed surveys and convenience sampling, included 598 participants (412 medical students and 186 interns). The survey included the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Pearson's correlation (r), multivariable linear regression, and path analysis were conducted to examine factors associated with resilience. Resilience was negatively correlated with neuroticism and alexithymia (r = -0.41 and -0.32, p < 0.001) and positively correlated with extraversion and conscientiousness (r = 0.29 and 0.36, p < 0.001). Regression identified neuroticism, externally-oriented thinking, agreeableness, and current psychiatric disorder as negative predictors (β = -0.32, -0.14, -0.10, and -0.45 respectively, p ≤ 0.012), while extraversion and conscientiousness were positive predictors (β = 0.14 and 0.24 respectively, p < 0.001). On path analysis, externally-oriented thinking provided a significant indirect statistical link in the associations of conscientiousness (β = 0.02, p = 0.019) and openness (β = 0.03, p = 0.010) with resilience. Addressing neuroticism and alexithymia subcomponents may enhance resilience and support student well-being.