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. 2002 Jul;21(4):315-20.
doi: 10.1037//0278-6133.21.4.315.

Patient personality and mortality: a 4-year prospective examination of chronic renal insufficiency

Alan J Christensen  1 , Shawna L Ehlers, John S Wiebe, Patricia J Moran, Katherine Raichle, Karin Ferneyhough, William J Lawton
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Patient personality and mortality: a 4-year prospective examination of chronic renal insufficiency

Alan J Christensen et al. Health Psychol. 2002 Jul.

Abstract

The present study examined the role of personality as a predictor of mortality among patients with chronic renal insufficiency. A prospective evaluation of the influence of personality on patient survival was conducted over an average 49-month period. Cox regression was used to evaluate the effects of 5 dimensions of personality in a sample of 174 patients (100 male and 74 female). At follow-up, 49 patients had died. Significant demographic and clinical predictors of survival included age, diabetic status, and hemoglobin level. After these predictors were controlled for, 2 personality traits, conscientiousness and neuroticism, predicted patient mortality. Patients with high neuroticism scores had a 37.5% higher estimated mortality rate. Patients with low conscientiousness scores had a 36.4% increased mortality rate.

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