Reciprocal interactions between personality and inflammation likely serve to influence and reinforce each other over time. An individual's characteristic way of thinking, feeling, and behaving may shape the circumstances that lead to increased inflammation. For example, compared to emotionally stable individuals, individuals vulnerable to stress may perceive more situations as stressful, yet lack the necessary resources to cope with the negative emotions evoked during such situations. This tendency to experience negative emotions contributes to chronic inflammation over time (Stewart et al. in press). Unhealthy behaviors represent another pathway that may account, at least in part, for the relation between personality and inflammation. As noted above, individuals who are disorganized and lack self-discipline have higher levels of IL-6, in part, because of their unhealthy behaviors.
