A new study has found that certain personality traits may play a significant role in determining how long a person lives, offering new insights that could shape the future of personalised healthcare.
Published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, the study analysed personality data from more than 22,000 individuals to identify which traits are most strongly associated with longevity. Researchers found that people who described themselves as organised, active, responsible, and helpful tended to live longer, while those who identified as anxious, moody, or impulsive faced higher mortality risks.
The findings expand on the well-known “Big Five” model of personality — Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism — by breaking these broad categories into more specific traits. This approach, according to researchers, significantly improved the ability to predict lifespan outcomes.
“We found that the prediction of mortality basically doubles if you move away from the Big Five into these smaller, more detailed traits,” said René Mõttus, a personality psychology professor at the University of Edinburgh and co-author of the study. “There are many mechanisms through which personality can influence longevity — for one person, it may relate to emotional regulation, and for another, to behavioural habits.”
Participants who identified as “active” had a 21 percent lower risk of dying during the study period, regardless of age, gender, or existing medical conditions. Being organised and conscientious was also linked to longer life, potentially because these individuals are more likely to maintain healthy routines, take medications on time, and engage in preventative healthcare.
Psychologist and cognitive scientist Dr. John Francis Leader noted that personality affects not only lifestyle choices but also access to and engagement with health interventions. “Certain patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaviour directly impact wellbeing and the ability to follow through with preventative measures,” he said. “Healthcare providers can bridge gaps by tailoring support to different personality types.”
While personality traits are relatively stable, they are not fixed, experts say. With intentional effort and social support, people can develop habits that promote longevity. “Personality can shift across the lifespan, especially with the right environment or community,” said Dr. Leader.
As medicine becomes more personalised through data-driven and AI-assisted tools, researchers believe personality assessments could become an integral part of early intervention strategies, particularly in mental health. “We’re getting closer to being able to predict wellbeing and illness based on nuanced personality profiles,” Mõttus said. “With time and more research, we expect to uncover stronger and more actionable links between personality and mortality.”
