Role of neuroticism and extraversion in the emotional health of people with cancer

Abstract

The impact that cancer disease can have on individuals varies depending, among other things, on their personal characteristics, so it is important to explore aspects such as the personality traits in relation to mental health in people with cancer. The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between neuroticism, extraversion and mental health in people with cancer. Besides, this study also explored differences in mental health when combining extraversion and neuroticism levels. One hundred and seventy people who had been diagnosed with different types of cancer (breast cancer, lung, colon, gynaecological cancer and others) composed the sample. Almost all of them (92.9%) had received oncological treatment. The GHQ-12 scale was used to assess the mental health and the 60-item NEO Five-Factor Inventory was applied in order to measure neuroticism and extraversion in participants. A hierarchic lineal regression model was conducted. Neuroticism and extraversion did not show any interaction effect, although a partial mediation was observed in relation to mental health outcomes. Given the significant correlation between neuroticism and extraversion with mental health ( r = .59, p < .001; r = −.41, p < .001), both personality traits were combined, resulting in a classification of four different personality profiles ( F (4;165) = 19.85; p < .001). Results in this study have shown that low levels of neuroticism and high levels of extraversion are related to positive health outcomes. They seem to be protective factors with respect to the mental health in people with cancer. The knowledge of the positive effects of these aspects contributes to the comprehension of mental health in the oncological sample, which should be considered in order to design and guide particular therapeutic interventions adapted to each person.

The COVID‐19 lockdown and psychological distress among Italian parents: Influence of parental role, parent personality, and child difficulties

“…Individuals who are highly neurotic and introverted (i.e., reserved, withdrawn, inhibited) might present less adaptive coping strategies in reaction to potentially stressful events, and thereby experience more psychological distress. Furthermore, the present result is in line with the findings of Macía et al (2020), who showed that low levels of neuroticism and high levels of extraversion related to positive health outcomes, and seemed to comprise protective factors with respect to mental health in cancer patients. Finally, the result is aligned with that of Mulsow et al (2002), who found that high levels of extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability (i.e., low levels of neuroticism) were associated with lower levels of parenting stress in mothers of newborns, thereby decreasing the likelihood that these mothers would experience chronic distress after 2 years.…”

Prevalence and Related Factors of Depression, Anxiety, Acute Stress, and Insomnia Symptoms Among Medical Staffs Experiencing the Second Wave of COVID-19 Pandemic in Xinjiang, China

“…Several previous studies reveal that neuroticism is positively associated with various psychological problems, which is consistent with our study (36)(37)(38)(39). At the same time, higher levels of extraversion are also found to be related to positive health outcomes (40).…”

Predicting Caregiver Burden in Informal Caregivers for the Elderly in Ecuador

“…In the context of caregiving, the stress model underlines the importance of the perceived lack of control and the psychological stress involved in the situation of caring compared with the objective amount of expected burden as a result of the degree of mental impairment or dependency of the elderly patient [ 14 ]. Some authors suggested that the time spent providing care, the caregiver’s age, their lack of social support, the cognitive impairment of the elderly, and the caregiver’s neuroticism are important factors [ 15 , 16 ]. Previous studies also found differences in the amount of perceived burden in caregivers [ 17 ].…”