Neuroticism prospectively predicts pain among adolescents: results from a nationally representative sample

The purpose of this study is to assess the prospective relationship of neuroticism to frequency of headaches and stomachaches in adolescents.

Participants were 3,676 adolescents sampled from Wave 1 (mean age 16) and Wave 2 (mean age 17) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (i.e., Add Health), a comprehensive, nationally representative, longitudinal data set. Binary variables were created to isolate participants who reported high versus low/medium frequency of pain. Subsequently, Wave 2 pain variables were modeled based on Wave 1 neuroticism, controlling for Wave 1 pain and demographics.

Elevated neuroticism at Wave 1 prospectively predicted increased odds of high frequency of headaches (odds ratio=1.4, 95% CI [1.2, 1.8], p=.001) and stomachaches at Wave 2 (odds ratio=1.5, 95% CI [1.1, 2.0], p=.004).

This is the first known study to examine and find evidence for the prospective relationship between neuroticism and pain among a nationally representative sample of adolescents. Results indicated that after controlling for baseline pain, elevated neuroticism longitudinally predicted increased odds of high frequency of pain, one year later. Given recent advances in treatment for neuroticism, clinicians should be aware of these relationships and incorporate multidisciplinary treatments in the care of adolescents who experience high levels of pain.