THE ROLE OF PERSONALITY IN ADVANCE CARE PLANNING

The topic of end-of-life care planning has received a surge of attention in recent years. Previous research has identified several social factors as predictors of advance care planning (ACP). However, the association between personality factors and ACP is not well-established. The aim of this study was to explore the association between the Big Five personality dimensions and ACP. Data from the 2012 wave of the HRS were analyzed. In the HRS, ACP activity was assessed with a series of questions about participation in informal discussions and completion of a living will and/or durable power of attorney. The sample included community dwelling adults age 65 and older who provided complete data on indicators of ACP (n=3,514). Descriptive, bivariate and multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted. Approximately 45% of respondents reported both informal and formal participation, 28% were non-planners, 15% participated in informal planning only and 12% completed formal plans only. Compared to non-planners, the full model showed that individuals scoring high on Neuroticism were less likely to engage in informal planning (RRR = 0.78, p