Males are more non-adherent to public health measures for containing COVID-19 while females experience more COVID-19-related distress. Personality traits may influence both non-adherence and distress. We examined sensation seeking (SS), anxiety sensitivity (AS), impulsivity, and hopelessness as traits potentially associated with non-adherence and distress in response to COVID-19. Furthermore, we sought to understand if known sex differences in SS (male > female) and AS (female > male) may explain sex differences on these two COVID-19 outcomes. In the first month of the pandemic, 400 adults (mean age = 32.16 years; 45.3%F) completed the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale to assess personality. Degree of adherence to public health recommendations and COVID-19-related distress were also measured. Male sex was indirectly related to poorer adherence to stay-at-home advisories via SS, and female sex was indirectly related to higher COVID-19 distress via AS. Personality-targeted interventions may help reduce non-adherence and COVID-19 distress, potentially reducing sex differences.

男性对含有COVID-19的公共卫生措施不坚持，而女性则遭受更多与COVID-19相关的困扰。人格特质可能会影响不坚持和困扰。我们检查了寻求刺激（SS），焦虑敏感性（AS），冲动性和绝望性等与COVID-19应答中潜在的不依从和困扰相关的特征。此外，我们试图了解已知的SS（男性>女性）和AS（女性>男性）性别差异是否可以解释这两种COVID-19结果的性别差异。大流行的第一个月，有400名成年人（平均年龄= 32.16岁； 45.3％F）完成了《物质使用风险状况量表》以评估人格。还测量了对公共健康建议的依从程度和与COVID-19相关的困扰。男性与通过SS坚持在家咨询较差间接相关，而女性与通过AS导致较高的COVID-19苦恼间接相关。以人格为目标的干预措施可能有助于减少不依从和COVID-19困扰，从而可能减少性别差异。