Sara Bui and I wrote a chapter on personality and physical health for the new Palgrave Encyclopedia of Disability. In this chapter we explore the evidence about the relation between personality and physical health.
The existing approach in health highlights the importance of combining biological, psychological, and social factors to understand the mechanisms associated with the onset, adaptation, and outcomes of diseases. The area of research that has become increasingly important is the relationship between personality and physical health. Although the complexity of the interactions between the varied factors involved does not allow for conclusive answers, robust evidence confirms that personality plays a fundamental role along the entire continuum of health. In this entry we review the existing evidence, suggesting the importance of further research within a lifespan, dimensional, and evolutionary perspective on personality.
In the chapter we present an evolutionarily informed model of personality development to understand the responses and adjustment to illness and disability. This model is a revised version of the one developed by Martin Brüne and I on personality pathology.
This chapter is the second (I guess last) contribution Sara and I wrote for this interesting project.
Bui, S., Cheli, S. (2025). Personality in Physical Disability and Diseases. In: Bennett, G., Goodall, E. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Disability. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40858-8_482-1