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Temperament in young adulthood and later mortality: prospective observational study
P McCarron1, D Gunnell, G L Harrison
1N Ireland Cancer Registry, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, The Queen's University of Belfast, UK. peter.mccarron@qub.ac.uk
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
|November 6, 2003
Summary
Early adult psychological distress, including anxiety and multiple temperament types, is linked to higher mortality risks from all causes, stroke, and cancer. Further research is needed to understand these associations.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Clinician assessments of temperament in early adulthood may offer insights into long-term health outcomes.
- Understanding the relationship between personality traits, mental health states, and mortality is crucial for preventative healthcare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between clinician-assessed temperament in early adulthood and cause-specific mortality.
- To identify specific temperament types linked to increased mortality risks.
Main Methods:
- A prospective observational study involving 9239 male former students aged 16-30.
- Physician-recorded free-text temperament assessments were coded into categories (e.g., stable, anxious, hypomanic).
- Cox proportional hazards models were used to analyze associations between temperament and mortality.
Main Results:
- Individuals with at least one non-stable temperament type showed increased all-cause and stroke mortality.
- Those with multiple temperament types faced higher risks of death from all causes, stroke, and cancer.
- Anxiety was associated with increased all-cause and cancer mortality; hypomanic temperament correlated with higher cardiovascular mortality.
Conclusions:
- Early adult psychological distress, as indicated by temperament assessments, is associated with elevated mortality.
- The underlying mechanisms linking psychological distress to mortality require further investigation.