Study At A Glance: An international genetics analysis of 46 cohorts identified 1,200+ variants linked to the Big Five personality traits and found overlap between personality-related genetics and health, longevity, education and career outcomes. Variants associated with neuroticism were linked to longer hospital stays, though experts stress this is an association—not proof of causation. Individual genetic effects are small, but their combined influence and interactions with environment can be meaningful.
Large Genetic Study Links Neuroticism-Related Variants to Longer Hospital Stays
A stock image of a hand reaching toward a DNA strand against a sunset backdrop.
A major international genetics study suggests that genetic variants tied to personality—particularly neuroticism—may be associated with spending more time in hospital. The research, led by the Revived Genomics of Personality Consortium, combined DNA and questionnaire data from 46 research cohorts worldwide and identified more than 1,200 variants linked to the Big Five personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism.
Key Findings
The team did not find a single “personality gene.” Instead, they uncovered hundreds of small-effect variants that, in aggregate, contribute to individual differences in how people think, feel and behave. One notable association was between genetic variants correlated with neuroticism and longer hospital stays.
"There is no single 'personality gene,'" said Ted Schwaba, lead author and assistant professor in Michigan State University’s Department of Psychology. "Personality traits are associated with many genetic variants, but even the largest effects of individual genetic variants are still very small. However, the effects of many variants together can be more sizeable."
Why Neuroticism Might Relate To Hospital Time
Independent experts offered possible explanations for the observed link. Consultant psychiatrist T. Ayodele Ajayi noted that people with higher neuroticism often experience more negative emotions (anxiety, worry, sadness), which can complicate assessment, treatment and discharge planning. Greater sensitivity to stress, higher perceived need for care and some less adaptive coping behaviors (for example, smoking or heavy alcohol use) could increase health service use or slow recovery.
Ajayi emphasized that the study reports an association, not proof of causation, and that the analysis did not specify whether longer stays were driven primarily by physical illness, mental health conditions, or both.
Broader Patterns And Implications
Researchers also found that personality-related genetic patterns overlapped with those linked to mental and physical health, longevity, education and career outcomes. Examples included associations between conscientiousness variants and greater daytime activity and between openness/extraversion variants and evening chronotypes ("night owl" tendencies).
The study provides evidence that genetics, personality and environment interact. For instance, variants associated with openness correlated with moves to more cosmopolitan neighborhoods—environments that may further shape personality traits. Analyses indicated that polygenic associations held across different ages, countries and family structures, suggesting that shared environment alone does not explain the links.
What This Means
These findings reinforce that personality has relevance beyond psychology and could inform research and practice in medicine, public health, education and the workplace. At the same time, the effects of individual genetic variants are small; researchers used aggregated genetic signals (polygenic approaches) to detect consistent patterns.
The full study: Schwaba, T., Clapp Sullivan, M.L., Akingbuwa, W.A., et al. (2026). "Robust inference and correlates from genetic associations with personality." Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10992-9
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