Associations between myocardial infarction (MI), personality traits, and mental health

Publication type

Journal Article

Series Number

Authors

Publication date

September 12, 2025

Summary:

Personality traits affect mental health outcomes after myocardial infarction (MI), offering insights into their interaction and influence on recovery. This research explores the relationships between MI, personality traits captured by the Big Five, mental health, and the role of MI in the relationships between the Big Five and mental health. Data from 654 people with MI and 7,707 age- and sex-matched people without MI from Understanding Society: the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS) were analyzed using a moderated regression and two multiple regressions. Results revealed MI significantly moderates the relationship between conscientiousness and mental health. Specifically, the negative associations between conscientiousness and mental health issues were stronger in people with MI compared to people without MI. This suggests that, for people with MI, efforts to improve mental health should place special focus on fostering conscientiousness, as its protective effect on mental health appears especially strong in this population.

Published in

Current Psychology

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-08411-9

ISSN

10461310

Subjects

Notes

Copyright © 2025, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Online Early

#588743

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