Neuroticism, life events and mental health: Evidence for person-environment correlation

Abstract

Background: There is some evidence that genetic effects on the likelihood of experiencing stressful life events (SLEs) are mediated by heritable traits such as cognitive ability (CA) and neuroticism (N). Aims: To examine whether the association between CA, N and mental ill-health is driven in part by a predisposition to experience depressogenic SLEs. Method: Childhood measures of N and CA were available in a birth cohort of 5362 individuals. At ages 36 and 43 years, mental state and occurrence of SLEs in the previous year were assessed. Using a path-analytic approach, models with and without a hypothesised influence of N and CA on the occurrence of SLEs were compared. Results: The fit of the model with childhood N having a direct influence on SLEs was good with X2=5.72, d.f.=4, P=0.22 at age 36 years and X2=3.50, d.f.=5, P=0.62 at age 43. The fit of the model was significantly worse without this path at both ages (36 years: X2=42,5, d.f.=l, P <0.001; 43 years X2 =15.3, d.f.=l, P <0.001). No consistent differences were seen in comparisons of models with CA. Conclusions: The results are congruent with the suggestion that genetic effects on SLEs are mediated by personal characteristics. Part of the well-established association between N and minor psychiatric disorder may be mediated by an indirect effect of N on the likelihood of experiencing SLEs. Declaration of interest: None.