EPA-1012 - Personality Measured as Murray's Psychological Needs and All-Cause Mortality: 41 Years of Follow-Up of a Population-Based Sample

Abstract

Objectives:

To examine the associations between personality traits, measured as Murray's psychological needs, and mortality over 41 years in men and women and among the young and the old.

Methods:

We used a general population sample aged 18-65 (n = 1094) examined in 1970 according to the Cesarec-Marke Personality Schedule (CMPS). Mortality data came from national vitality registers up to 2011. The associations between eleven traits - achievement, affiliation, aggression, defence of status, guilt feelings, dominance, exhibition, autonomy, nurturance, order, and succorance - were examined using factor analysis, and their associations with mortality in Cox proportional hazard models.

Results:

During the 41-year follow-up, 513 persons died (47%). In men aged 26-45, achievement and affiliation were associated with mortality: HR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.04-1.36 and HR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.01-1.33 per step on a stanine scale. In men aged 18-25, nurturance was protective: HR = 0.77, 95% CI, 0.64-0.98 per stanine. In women aged 18-25, feelings of guilt increased the risk of mortality, while dominance was protective: HR = 1.38, 95% CI 1.09-1.75 per stanine, and HR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.55-0.99 per stanine, respectively. In women aged 46-65, exhibition increased the risk of mortality: HR = 1.09, 95% CI, 1.00-1.18 per stanine. There were no significant associations when all age groups were combined.

Conclusions:

Our findings suggest that personality traits, measured as Murray's needs, are associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality, but the associations differ according to age at assessment and sex.