Cognitive hostility predicts all-cause mortality irrespective of behavioural risk at late middle and older age

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Gerontology
• Public Health

Background:

• Existing research links hostility to mortality, but often examines single traits in younger populations.
• Behavioral pathways for mortality risk may vary by age group.
• The study investigates multiple hostility-related attributes and their impact on mortality in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the association between all-cause mortality and cognitive hostility, anger, aggression, and rebelliousness.
• To determine if these psychological attributes independently predict mortality, beyond health behaviors.
• To analyze these relationships in a late middle-aged and older population.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of 2679 Dutch adults aged 50+ (Eindhoven region).
• Psychological traits self-reported; mortality tracked from 2005 to 2010.
• Cox regression analyses adjusted for demographics, morbidity, other psychological variables, and health behaviors.

Main Results:

• Cognitive hostility showed a significant association with all-cause mortality (HR 1.05, 95% CI: 1.01-1.09), independent of health behaviors.
• Anger, aggression, and rebelliousness were not significantly associated with mortality risk.
• The association of cognitive hostility with mortality persisted after controlling for potential confounders.

Conclusions:

• Hostile cognitions represent a distinct risk factor for mortality in older adults.
• Addressing cognitive hostility may be a valuable strategy for reducing excess mortality.
• Findings suggest psychological factors, specifically hostile thinking, warrant separate consideration alongside lifestyle interventions for mortality risk reduction.