Personality traits and chronic illness: a comparison of individuals with psychiatric, coronary heart disease, and HIV/AIDS diagnoses

Erlen, Judith A.; Stilley, Carol S.; Bender, Ann; Lewis, Mary Pat; Garand, Linda; Kim, Yookyung; Pilkonis, Paul A.; Kitutu, Julius; Sereika, Susan; Shaler, Claire

doi:10.1016/j.apnr.2009.04.006

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Volume 24, Issue 2 , Pages 74-81, May 2011

Personality traits and chronic illness: a comparison of individuals with psychiatric, coronary heart disease, and HIV/AIDS diagnoses

Judith A. Erlen, PhD, RN
- Center for Research in Chronic Disorders, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 412 624 1905; fax: +1 412 624 1508.
Carol S. Stilley, PhD, RN
- Center for Research in Chronic Disorders, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
Ann Bender, PhD
- Center for Research in Chronic Disorders, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
Mary Pat Lewis, PhD, RN
- Department of Nursing, SUNY Delhi, NY 13753, USA
Linda Garand, PhD, RN
- Center for Research in Chronic Disorders, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
Yookyung Kim, PhD
- Center for Research and Evaluation, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
Paul A. Pilkonis, PhD
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
Julius Kitutu, PhD
- Center for Research in Chronic Disorders, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
Susan Sereika, PhD
- Center for Research in Chronic Disorders, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Center for Research and Evaluation, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
Claire Shaler, BSN
- Center for Research in Chronic Disorders, School of Nursing, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA

Received 11 August 2008; received in revised form 2 February 2009; accepted 19 April 2009. published online 22 September 2009.

Abstract

This secondary analysis used the five-factor model of personality to examine personality traits in four samples of patients with chronic disorders. Profiles of personality traits differed across disorders. Although participants with psychiatric disorders and participants with HIV/AIDS had similar patterns of personality traits, patients with psychiatric disorders were more extreme on all traits except agreeableness. Patients with hyperlipidemia and those who had cardiothoracic transplants had similar patterns. Nurses and researchers need to consider personality traits that drive patterns of behavior in designing more effective ways to promote better health and manage disease.