Personality change at mid-life is associated with changes in self-rated health: Evidence from the Hawaii Personality and Health Cohort

• Individual-level personality change was found over about 3 years at mid-life.
• Personality change was associated with changes in self-rated health.
• Increased Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness related to better health.
• Decreased Neuroticism predicted better health.

Personality traits change across the lifespan, and trait change, in addition to trait level, may be related to health. Longitudinal data from the Hawaii Personality and Health Cohort were used to investigate associations between changes in traits and self-rated health (SRH). Participants (N = 733, Mage = 44.4) completed measures of the Big Five personality traits and SRH twice approximately 3 years apart. Personality trait changes were associated with SRH change. Additionally, increases on Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness, and decreases on Neuroticism, predicted increases in SRH, even when controlling for gender and education. Relating correlated trait change at mid-life, when traits reach peak stability, to a consequential health outcome such as SRH change, demonstrates the value of treating both traits and health indicators as dynamic variables.