In a longitudinal study of personality, 66 women completed the Cesarec Marke Personality Schedule, a Swedish personality inventory, in order to assess their psychogenic needs at the age of 15 and 25. Psychiatric symptoms and a number of background variables were assessed independently after the completion of the Cesarec Marke Personality Schedule, with the aim of examining whether traits and background variables were related to psychiatric symptoms.The psychogenic needs Defence of Status and Guilt Feelings at the age of 15 were positively and significantly related to depressive and anxiety symptoms and high score on psychiatric morbidity in general. The psychogenic needs Defence of Status, Guilt Feelings and Succourance at the age of 25 were significantly related to the symptom constructs Somatization, Interpersonal‐sensitivity, Depression, Anxiety‐phobia, and General Morbidity. Subjects with a low score of psychiatric symptoms differed from high scoring subjects by having been raised by older parents, experienced a secure childhood, better relationships with siblings and peers, and a longer education.It may be hypothesized that high scores on Defence of Status and Guilt Feelings in combination with less favourable background variables may constitute a vulnerability factor for depression and anxi