Personality traits and end-of-life planning in older adults: insights from a population-based survey

Personality traits (PTs) such as openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism reflect individuals' differences in thinking, feeling, and behaving. This study explores the association between these PTs and individuals' commitment to end-of-life (EoL) planning. Understanding this association can provide valuable insights for professionals and family members, helping them effectively motivate individuals to engage in EoL planning, thereby contributing to an improved quality of life in the last stage. Using data from a self-completion questionnaire (n = 1,524) of SHARE Switzerland, this study employs logistic regression to explore the relationship between PTs measured by the Big Five Inventory Ten (BFI-10) and EoL planning attitudes and behaviours measured by well-established indicators: contemplating death, discussing one's EoL preferences, organizing legal matters concerning EoL such as writing a testament and durable powers of attorney, designating a healthcare proxy, and completing a living will in case of potential future incapacity. Older adults with higher levels of openness think about and discuss EoL matters more frequently than individuals with lower levels of openness. They are also more likely to have a testament and a durable power of attorney. Older adults with higher levels of extraversion are more likely to have a testament, while participants scoring higher in neuroticism tend to ponder their EoL wishes more frequently. PTs' contribution to participation in EoL planning appears to be relatively limited. Therefore, it is unlikely that PTs pose substantial impediments to engaging in comprehensive EoL planning, which can be promoted among individuals irrespective of their specific PTs.