PRECURSORS OF PREMATURE DISEASE AND DEATH - HABITS OF NERVOUS TENSION

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 147  (4) , 137-145
Abstract
Patterns of habits of nervous tension (HNT) recorded by medical students who later developed cancer, coronary occlusion, hypertension or mental illness, or who committed suicide, were compared with those of students who remained healthy 15-30 yr later. Data came from the 25-item HNT Questionnaire previously reported. Unpaired t tests and 2 group discriminant function analyses were the chief statistical methods used. Compared with those of the healthy group, the overall HNT patterns were significantly different for the cancer, coronary occlusion, mental illness and suicide groups. The overall pattern for the hypertension group did not reach significance. Apparently youthful reactions to stress as self-reported in a checklist of habits of nervous tension reflect individual psychobiological differences that are linked with future health or disease.