← Search

When Is Higher Neuroticism Protective Against Death? Findings From UK Biobank

Catharine R. Gale^1,2,3; Iva Čukić^1,3; G. David Batty^1,4; Andrew M. McIntosh^1,5; Alexander Weiss^1,3; Ian J. Deary^1,3

¹ Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh · ² MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton · ³ Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh · ⁴ Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London · ⁵ Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh

We examined the association between neuroticism and mortality in a sample of 321,456 people from UK Biobank and explored the influence of self-rated health on this relationship. After adjustment for age and sex, a 1- SD increment in neuroticism was associated with a 6% increase in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio = 1.06, 95% confidence interval = [1.03, 1.09]). After adjustment for other covariates, and, in particular, self-rated health, higher neuroticism was associated with an 8% reduction in all-cause mortality (hazard ratio = 0.92, 95% confidence interval = [0.89, 0.95]), as well as with reductions in mortality from cancer, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease, but not external causes. Further analyses revealed that higher neuroticism was associated with lower mortality only in those people with fair or poor self-rated health, and that higher scores on a facet of neuroticism related to worry and vulnerability were associated with lower mortality. Research into associations between personality facets and mortality may elucidate mechanisms underlying neuroticism’s covert protection against death.

DOI

10.1177/0956797617709813

Volume

28 (9)

Pages

1345-1357

Language

en

Export

BibTeX

Sources

crossref