Personality and survival time after bone marrow transplantation

Personality was assessed by means of the Personality Research Form (PRF) in 35 patients with acute leukaemia, Chronic Myelogenous Leukaemia, or Severe Aplastic Anemia at hospital admission for bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The sample was split into two groups of patients with high or low scores, respectively, in four PRF second order factors and survival curves of these groups were compared by means of Kaplan-Meier Analyses. Longest observation time lasted for more than two years. Patients scoring high in 'Strive for recognition and help' had a higher survival probability after about one year post BMT. It is suggested that compliance behaviour is the pathway mediating between personality and survival probability.