WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind., April 6 (UPI) -- Neuroticism, the tendency toward hand wringing and negative thinking, is linked to increased mortality, according to a U.S. psychologist.
Purdue University psychologist Daniel Mroczek tracked more than 1,600 men over 12 years and found those who increased over time in neuroticism had a ticket to an early grave.
In other words, the middle age or older men did not grow old gracefully and more likely got more and more stressed, worried or fretful. They died mostly of cancer and heart disease, according to the study published in the May issue of Psychological Science.
However, men with a fretful personality who managed for whatever reason to calm down a bit over time had survival rates similar to those of emotionally stable men, according to Mroczek.
A healthy personality appears related to two personality traits -- emotional stability and conscientiousness. Neuroticism is considered the polar opposite of emotional stability.
