PERSONLIGHED OG SYGDOM

Abstract

The article discusses the relation between personality and physical disease. First, the most important methodological problems are described and it is argued that unambiguous conclusions about the relation between personality and disease are only possible on the basis of prospective longitudinal studies of healthy individuals. Next follows a discussion of various factors that may explain the relations between personality and health: possible relations between personality and symptom/illness behavior or health related behaviors. Personality may also moderate the effects of stress or
may provoke stress, and finally there may be a relation between personality and constitutional dispositions. The Five-Factor model of personality describes five broad personality dimensions: neuroticism, extroversion-introversion, conscientiousness, hostility-agreeableness, and intelligence. The relation between each of these personality traits and health is discussed on the basis of a selective literature review. It is concluded that there is a probable association between trait depression and disease, and between hostility and disease.