This Personality Trait Is Associated With A Higher Risk Of Dying Young
A UK study has shown that neuroticism is directly related to an increase in premature mortalityespecially in terms of the loneliness associated with this trait.
This research offers new insights into how personality can directly influence longevity and highlights the importance of addressing factors such as loneliness and emotional stress to improve both quality of life and life expectancy.
Neuroticism is a personality trait characterized by a greater tendency to experience negative emotions, such as anxiety, irritability, and feelings of insecurity.
It is defined as one of the big five personality traits that describe individual differences in behavior and emotions.
Several studies have linked this trait to mental and physical health problems, but recent research has revealed an even more alarming connection: people with high levels of neuroticism have a higher risk of dying young.
People with high levels of neuroticism tend to be more sensitive to stress, and therefore They show a very high emotional response to everyday problems. They tend to worry more about the future, have difficulty managing adverse situations, and are more likely to experience low self-esteem.
In terms of health, neuroticism has been shown to have a significant impact both mentally and cognitively as well as physically. On a psychological level, it is closely related to disorders such as anxiety and depression. People high in neuroticism often develop negative thought patterns that aggravate their emotional distress, which can lead to long-term mental health problems. In addition, they are more likely to develop unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, drinking alcohol excessively or adopting harmful eating habits, which increases the risk of chronic diseases.
On a physical level, research has shown that neuroticism is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, digestive problems, and sleep disorders. People with high levels of this trait have a greater tendency to experience responses characteristic of chronic stress, which can weaken their immune system and increase inflammation in the body, factors that contribute to the development of multiple health conditions.
In summary, Neuroticism is a trait that not only affects mental health, but can also negatively influence physical well-beingmaking it an important factor to take into account when analyzing the relationship between personality and mortality.
Neuroticism and mortality
A recent study, based on the large UK Biobank sample, has revealed the existence of a significant connection between neuroticism and mortality risk. This project included nearly 500,000 adults who completed a neuroticism scale between 2006 and 2010, and whose health records were followed for 17 years. In this period, 43,400 deaths were recorded, which allowed researchers to analyze how levels of neuroticism were associated with the risk of death from various causes.
The key finding of the study was that individuals who scored one standard deviation higher on neuroticism were 10% more likely to die prematurely. This relationship remained significant even after adjusting for factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other health behaviors, although part of the association was explained by the latter factors.
That is, although higher levels of neuroticism could be correlated with less healthy lifestyles, such as smoking or poor diet, neuroticism alone was still a relevant factor in predicting mortality.
A particularly notable aspect of the study was that the component of neuroticism most closely related to mortality was loneliness.. People who felt lonelier had a significantly higher risk of dying young, particularly men.
The results showed that those who experienced high levels of loneliness were 46% more likely to die prematurelycompared to those who reported feeling less lonely. Furthermore, neuroticism and loneliness were especially influential in younger people and those without university education.
Regarding causes of death, the researchers found that neuroticism and loneliness were most strongly associated with the risk of death from intentional self-harm, such as suicide, as well as respiratory and digestive system diseases. This link to self-harm highlights how neuroticism and loneliness not only affect physical health, but also mental well-being, with tragic consequences for some individuals.
The study also noted that the relationship between neuroticism and mortality was not simply a reflection of declining health in later life. Even when deaths that occurred in the first five or ten years of follow-up were excluded, associations between neuroticism and mortality remained strongwhich reinforces the relevance of this personality trait in predicting mortality.
Loneliness as a critical factor
Within neuroticism, loneliness emerged as the component most strongly associated with premature mortality, according to the findings of the UK Biobank study. Although neuroticism, in general, is related to a series of health problems, loneliness was the factor that showed the greatest impact on the probability of dying young. This is especially worrying, as loneliness not only affects emotional well-being, but also physical health, with serious consequences for longevity.
Loneliness is a subjective experience that involves social and emotional disconnection, and its impact on health has been widely documented in previous research. Lonely people are at higher risk of developing chronic illnesses, such as heart problems and a weakened immune system, as well as being more likely to experience depression and anxiety. Social isolation and lack of emotional support can aggravate the perception of stresswhich triggers a series of harmful physiological responses, such as increased inflammation and cortisol, that contribute to deteriorating physical health.
In the study, individuals who reported feeling lonelier showed a 46% higher risk of mortality compared to those who did not feel lonely. This risk was more pronounced among men and younger peoplesuggesting that loneliness may be particularly harmful early in life and in those who lack support networks. Additionally, loneliness was linked to specific causes of death, such as suicide and respiratory diseases, underscoring its role in both mental and physical health.
Limitations and future questions
Despite the most significant findings of the study, there are also some limitations that must be considered. In this section, we will outline some of the main limitations and future questions raised by this research.
First, the assessment of loneliness was carried out through a single item on the neuroticism scale, which could have limited the precision in the measurement of this crucial factor. More detailed assessments of loneliness could provide a deeper understanding of its impact on mortality.
Another limitation is that the study was carried out in a population from the United Kingdom, a relatively high-income country compared to others. This raises the question of whether the results would be applicable in low- and middle-income communities, where socioeconomic and cultural factors may differentially influence the relationship between neuroticism, loneliness, and mortality. More research is needed in different socioeconomic contexts to confirm the generalizability of these findings..
Likewise, although the study adjusted the data for factors such as chronic illness and health behavior, the possibility that the increase in levels of neuroticism and loneliness is due to a deterioration in health as people age cannot be completely ruled out. the participants were approaching the end of their lives. However, the fact that the associations remained when excluding deaths in the first years of follow-up reduces the likelihood of reverse causality.
In future research, it would be valuable explore specific interventions that can mitigate the effects of neuroticism and lonelinessas well as analyze how these factors interact in more diverse contexts to reduce the risk of premature mortality.
Conclusions
In conclusion, neuroticism, and especially loneliness, are linked to an increased risk of dying young, affecting both mental and physical health. This finding highlights the need to address the impact of these factors on longevity and suggests that interventions focused on reducing loneliness could significantly improve quality and length of life.
