Personality and long-term health-related benefits

Although it is well documented that non-medical factors, like educational level, are associated with sick leave and disability pensioning, the role of personality has only been studied to a limited degree.

To examine how normal personality traits (as measured by 'The Big Five') are associated with long-term sick leave and disability pensioning.

In 2008, a sample of Norwegian women participating in the population-based Tracking Opportunities and Problems (TOPP) study were assessed for personality traits. Three years later the women reported on their job status and any episodes of sick leave and disability pensioning over the previous 6 months. Using logistic regression analyses, we examined the association between standardized measures of personality traits and any episodes of long-term sick leave and disability pensioning.

Three hundred and sixty-four women were included in the analyses (40% of those invited). One standard level increase in neuroticism was significantly associated with disability pensioning with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.07 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.38-3.10). In contrast, an increase in extroversion and conscientiousness was negatively associated with disability pensioning with ORs of 0.59 (0.39-0.90) and 0.65 (0.43-0.99), respectively. For long-term sick leave, there were no significant associations, although the trends in the estimates were similar.

Personality is strongly associated with disability pensioning, but not with long-term sick leave. In particular, high neuroticism, low extroversion and low conscientiousness seem to increase the risk for disability pensioning. Initiatives aimed to reduce the prevalence of disability pensioning should take personality traits into account.