OBJECTIVE
To examine a measure of explanatory style, the Optimism-Pessimism (PSM) scale derived
from college-entry Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory scores, as a predictor
of all-cause mortality.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
A total of 7007 students entering the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory during the mid-1960s. Of
those students, 6958 had scores on the PSM scale and data for all-cause mortality
through 2006. Scores on the PSM scale were evaluated as predictors of mortality using
the Cox proportional hazards regression model, adjusted for sex. During the 40-year
follow-up period, 476 deaths occurred.
RESULTS
Pessimistic individuals who scored in the upper tertile of the distribution had decreased
rates of longevity (hazard ratio, 1.42; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.77) compared
with optimistic individuals who scored in the bottom tertile of the distribution.
CONCLUSION
In a model that adjusted only for sex, a measure of optimistic vs pessimistic explanatory
style was a significant predictor of survival during a 40-year follow-up period such
that optimists had increased longevity.
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Article info
Footnotes
This work was supported by R01 HL55356 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute with cofunding from the National Institute on Aging to Dr Siegler.
Identification
Copyright
© 2006 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
