Neuroticism and cynicism and risk of death in middle-aged men: the Western Electric Study.
Abstract
MMPI measures of neuroticism (N) and of cynicism (C) were obtained at the initial examination of 1871 employed, middle-aged men in Chicago. Neither N nor C was significantly associated cross-sectionally with systolic blood pressure or serum cholesterol, but both were positively associated with cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. N was not significantly associated with risk of death from coronary disease, other cardiovascular diseases, cancer, all other causes combined, or all causes combined after adjustment for C, age, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, systolic blood pressure, and serum cholesterol. C was significantly associated with coronary death and total mortality after adjustment for N and the other variables listed above, and relative risks of 1.4 to 1.6 were observed for all endpoints. These results support the idea that neuroticism is not associated with major causes of mortality, but that cynicism is associated with several causes. The associations between cynicism and mortality may be mediated by cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol consumption since adjustment for these factors may have been incomplete due to correlation between cynicism and errors in self-reported data.
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No associations between Neuroticism and all-cause mortality were observed in US and Japanese community samples.
“No associations between Neuroticism and all-cause mortality were observed in US [117] and Japanese [54] community samples.”
From Personality and Longevity: Knowns, Unknowns, and Implications for Public Health and Personalized Medicine (2011) · cites this paper as [117]
No association between Neuroticism and CVD mortality was observed in a US community sample.
“The same was true with respect to cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in a US community sample [117] and with respect to cancer mortality in a sample of Japanese cancer patients [90].”
From Personality and Longevity: Knowns, Unknowns, and Implications for Public Health and Personalized Medicine (2011) · cites this paper as [117]
When revised scales focusing on these components were utilized, they predicted all-cause and CVD mortality in other large cohorts.
“and all-cause and CVD mortality in other large cohorts [117, 177, 178].”
From Personality and Longevity: Knowns, Unknowns, and Implications for Public Health and Personalized Medicine (2011) · cites this paper as [117]
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- Authors
- Almada, S. J., Zonderman, A. B., Shekelle, R. B., Dyer, A. R., Daviglus, M. L., Costa, P. T., & Stamler, J.
- Affiliations
- Northwestern University (US)
- Venue
- Psychosomatic Medicine
- Published
- 1991-03
- Volume
- 53
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 165-175
- ISSN
- 0033-3174 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2009246019
- Cited by
- 208
- References
- 19
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 4.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychosomatic Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (5t32hl007113-20, 5r01ca038326-02)
- National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL-21010, HL07113, R01HL021010)
- National Cancer Institute (CA38326)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac Health and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Keywords
- neuroticism, cynicism, mortality, middle-aged men, cardiovascular disease, cancer mortality, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, MMPI, personality traits
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Arousal, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cause of Death, Coronary Disease, Hostility, Humans, Life Style, Male, MMPI, Neoplasms, Neurotic Disorders, Psychometrics, Risk Factors, Type A Personality, Health Behavior
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