A study of high neuroticism in long-term survivors of childhood, adolescence, and young adult cancers, 2022, Dhal et al

Abstract

Neuroticism is a basic personality trait concerning negative feelings under stressful conditions. Our purpose was to examine the rate of high neuroticism and factors associated with high neuroticism in long-term (≥ 5 years) survivors of childhood, adolescent, and young adult cancer (CAYACSs). Norwegian CAYACSs aged 0–39 years when diagnosed and treated between 1985 and 2009 for cancer in childhood/adolescence (0–18 years), or as young adults (19–39 years) and alive in 2015 were mailed a questionnaire. Data from 1629 CAYACSs (481 children/adolescents and 1148 young adults) were analyzed. High neuroticism was found in 44% of survivors of childhood/adolescent cancers versus 34% in survivors of young adult cancer (p < 0.001). The rate of high neuroticism in female CAYACSs was 40% and in males 30% (p < 0.001). The corresponding difference between male survivor group was non-significant. In multivariable analysis, young age at survey, more adverse effects, poor self-rated health, female sex, chronic fatigue, and increased depression remained significantly associated with high neuroticism. Cancer treatment, comorbidity, and lifestyle were significant in bivariate analyses. Cancer at earlier age could increase the risk of high neuroticism among adult survivors. Screening for neuroticism could identify CAYACSs at risk for experiencing multiple health concerns and needing special follow-up attention.

Open access, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-15697-3

 

"Primary outcome variable

Neuroticism was self-rated on an abridged version of The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-N) with six items concerning long-term personality characteristics17. Each item was rated as present (1) or absent (0). The sum score ranged from zero to six, and higher score represented more neuroticism. The distribution of the sum scores were positively skewed, and we therefore applied the established dichotomization of the sum-score into the high (sum-score 3–6), and low neuroticism (sum-score 0–2) groups18. Internal consistency expressed as Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was 0.77 in CAYACSs and 0.73 in NORMs."

 

The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire !!! Why any work by Hans Eysenck should still be considered valid is incomprehensible:

Work of renowned UK psychologist Hans Eysenck ruled ‘unsafe’

Personality and fatal diseases: Revisiting a scientific scandal, Pelsoi, 2019

Abstract
During the 1980s and 1990s, Hans J Eysenck conducted a programme of research into the causes, prevention and treatment of fatal diseases in collaboration with one of his protégés, Ronald Grossarth-Maticek. This led to what must be the most astonishing series of findings ever published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature with effect sizes that have never otherwise been encounterered in biomedical research. This article outlines just some of these reported findings and signposts readers to extremely serious scientific and ethical criticisms that were published almost three decades ago. Confidential internal documents that have become available as a result of litigation against tobacco companies provide additional insights into this work. It is suggested that this research programme has led to one of the worst scientific scandals of all time. A call is made for a long overdue formal inquiry.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6712909/

 

David F. Marks also commented on this, demanding the retraction of 87 of his publications:
King’s College London’s enquiry into Hans J Eysenck’s ‘Unsafe’ publications must be properly completed, 2019, Marks, Buchanan

Abstract
This journal recently drew attention to an extensive body of highly questionable research published by Hans J. Eysenck in collaboration with Ronald Grossarth-Maticek. The subsequent enquiry by King’s College London concluded that 26 publications were unsafe and warranted retraction. However, the enquiry reviewed only a subset of the 61 questionable publications initially submitted to them, only those Eysenck co-authored with Grossarth-Maticek. The enquiry excluded publications where Eysenck was the sole author. The King’s College London enquiry must be properly completed. They have a pressing responsibility to re-convene and broaden their review to include all Eysenck’s publications based on the same body of research – including an additional 27 publications recently uncovered. The unsatisfactory nature of the KCL review process makes the case for a National Research Integrity Ombudsperson even stronger.​

This is the same psychologist who claimed that black people are dumber.

 

So there are people who exist who can be under stress who revel in it? And the people who have negative feelings are neurotic?

Psychologists must be a special subgroup of homo sapiens who don't understand normal emotions.

 

Eysenck. Holy crap. This ideology is like a damn zombie, except one of those where you can cut the head off and it will just keep crawling anyway.

What a start, though: a basic trait that happens under conditions. And these are the people who would call PEM too vague. They clearly don't mind vague, as long as it vaguely says they are always correct because anything can be interpreted as anything if they want, and boy do they want to.

 

Maybe it's more that they must invent new reasons for their own professional existence? As far as I'm concerned the ancient Greeks had human nature mostly figured out already.