Smith Parkhurst 2018

Personality significantly influences physical health, with robust associations found in research (Strickhouser et al., 2017).
Personality affects physiological functioning and the development of diseases through:
- Psychobiologic/psychosomatic pathways influencing stress responses leading to disease.
- Influence on health-relevant behaviors (exercise, diet, adherence to medical treatments).
Recent methodological improvements enhance the study of personality and health.
Challenges in expanding the evidence base, integrating psychosocial factors, and supporting practical applications for health improvement remain.

Mid-20th century psychodynamic studies explored unconscious processes linked to diseases, but faced limitations.
Modern research begins with Type A behavior and psychological hardiness, showing growth in understanding personality-health relationships.

Characteristics: competitiveness, achievement-striving, impatience, and hostility.
Initially considered an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD).
Hostility and related traits emerge as the most significant predictors of CHD (Chida & Steptoe, 2009).
- Vigorous speaking style is also a predictor (Houston et al., 1997).

Neuroticism: Tendency to experience negative emotions and thoughts.
Often leads to increased somatic complaints, initially challenging to correlate with objective health outcomes.
Research indicates a strong link to adverse health outcomes like CHD and diabetes (Gan et al., 2014; Knol et al., 2006).

Extraversion linked to positive health outcomes and longevity (Boehm & Kubzansky, 2012).

Curiosity and flexibility correlate with longevity and better health outcomes (Iwasa et al., 2008).

Defined as positive expectations about future events.
Optimists display lower cardiovascular disease risk and greater longevity (Boehm & Kubzansky, 2012).

Hardiness: Resilience against stress effects on health.
Sense of Coherence: Beliefs about the manageability and meaningfulness of life, predictive of lower cardiovascular risk (Surtees et al., 2006).

Combination of high negative affectivity and social inhibition, increasing health risks.

Personality influences physiological responses to stress affecting health outcomes.
Individual differences in stress reactivity, recovery, and sleep quality are influenced by personality traits.
Traits such as hostility and neuroticism lead to poor recovery from stress.

Personality traits are consistently related to health behaviors impacting morbidity and mortality risks (Sutin et al., 2016).

Personality and health effects may arise from underlying biological predispositions.
- Genetic studies show heritable variance in personality and health outcomes.

Differing assessment methods for personality traits can create inconsistencies in results (jingle/jangle fallacies).
Suggests a need for more consistent and valid measures across studies.

Prospective studies provide stronger evidence of personality health links compared to cross-sectional designs.
Consideration of confounding factors and their measurement reliability is crucial.

Emphasizing rigorous replication and integration of personality research with health outcomes.
Broadening the focus to include genetic, cultural, and socioeconomic factors influencing health disparities.
Understanding early adversity effects on lifetime health trajectories represents an opportunity for preventive interventions.

Clear associations exist between certain personality traits and health outcomes, providing avenues for intervention and improvement in health psychology.
Antagonistic behaviors and chronic negative emotions pose risks, while positive traits like conscientiousness and optimism offer protective benefits.