Neurotic and anxious partners will make no good

Jan 17, 2007 12:08 GMT  ·  By

The way you choose is the way in which you will live.

And how much you will live.

That's because researchers found a strong connection between our ability to recover from a major health issue and the spouse's personality.

The investigation assessed 111 coronary artery bypass patients and their spouses in aspects regarding personality, symptoms of depression, and the marital satisfaction of each patient and his spouse 18 months before and after surgery.

It resulted that the personality of one person reflected on the depression level of his/her partner 18 months later.

"We've known for some time that a patient's personality and mood before surgery influence their own mental and physical recovery following surgery," said John M. Ruiz, an assistant professor of psychology at Washington State University.

"We also know that a partner's personality and mood can affect us in the short term. What this work shows is that a partner's personality traits are also important determinants of our own long-term emotional and physical recovery from a major health challenge."

Neurotic or anxious spouses were more likely to inflict depression on their partners 18 months after surgery.

"In other words, the spouse's personality - quite independent of the patient's own personality - exhibited a major influence on how well the patient was feeling and progressing towards recovery," he said.

Depression is widely recognized as a risk factor in heart attacks and death.

"Our study suggests that there's a distinct possibility that the spouse's personality can increase depression which may then lead to these negative physical outcomes. It's an issue we will be looking at as we continue to follow these patients and as part of new studies here at WSU."

"Spouses are often times a major source of daily care and take on many of the roles that the couple may have previously shared," Ruiz said.

"We found that the same effects seen for patients also applied to spouses. Those spouses who cared for a person who was generally neurotic and anxious were more likely to report symptoms of depression as well as high levels of caregiving burden and strain a year and a half later."

"We don't really understand what it is that a spouse with these negative personality traits is doing to cause this depression in their partner," he said.

"Are they creating more stress, being less helpful, or burdening a person who is already having a difficult time with their own needs? It's a question that needs more study."

Oppositely, the optimism of one spouse provoked beneficial effects for the partner.

"Spouses caring for an optimistic, as opposed to a pessimistic, patient reported fewer depressive symptoms and significantly less burden and strain over time."

Partner's personality cannot be changed, but researchers noticed something interesting: a person's degree of satisfaction with their marriage is a key influence.

"Being married to a neurotic, anxious person was only harmful for those who were unhappy in their marriage," Ruiz said.

"For those happy in their marriage, spouse neuroticism appeared to have little influence. Hence, the findings highlight the importance of personality in marriage and health, but also support the notion that 'love conquers all."