title: Patient personality and mortality: a 4-year prospective examination of chronic renal insufficiency.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242, USA. alan-christensen@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: Shawna L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ehlers
authors.forename: John S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Wiebe
authors.forename: Patricia J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Moran
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Raichle
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ferneyhough
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lawton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012803:Sick Role; D015996:Survival Rate