Describe the neuroticism health-risk connection

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

There is meta-analytic evidence that neuroticism modestly increases the risk of adverse health consequences through engaging in certain types of health-risk or harming behaviors. These health risk behaviors may account for some of the findings of early mortality for persons with high levels of neuroticism. Overall then, it appears that high neuroticism found in people with a higher level of negative affect such as anxiety and depression; a lower level of positive affect, happiness, and life satisfaction; a greater use of disengagement coping; a greater chance of developing a clinical disorder (especially an internalizing disorder) or a personality disorder (especially a distress-related disorder); more intimate relationship dissatisfaction; a greater probability of engaging in health harming behaviors such as tobacco smoking and problem alcohol use; a greater likelihood of being involved in an occupational accident; and perhaps a greater risk for early mortality, although the neuroticism-mortality link is not firmly established.

Although these findings are very concerning, there is some room for optimism. For example, the trait called emotional stability which is the trait at the opposite end of the neuroticism dimension, shows steady increases across our life-span (as do traits such as warmth, self-control, and confidence) until it levels off in late adulthood. These findings suggest then that the personality trait of neuroticism would in turn gradually lessen over the lifespan—good news for those who suffer some of the pitfalls of neuroticism.