Personality differences between sick and rarely sick individuals

Abstract

Personality differences between sick and rarely sick individuals were measured. There was no difference between these groups in amount or type of life change experienced indicating that the population as a whole was very stable and homogeneous. There were significant differences of frustration and satisfaction. Satisfaction appeared to be linearly related to health status: as satisfaction decreased, frequency of illness increased. Finally, differences in worrying indicated that the rarely sick people seldom worried or felt “uptight”, while sick individuals reported feeling chronically “uptight” and worried. These findings are discussed in terms of the stability of the population, the relationship of psychological and physiological symptoms of illness, and the personality profile of a rarely sick individual.