Personality Traits and Illness Acceptance in Patients with Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study from Poland

Background

Illness acceptance is a key psychological factor shaping adjustment to chronic disease, and personality traits are among its established correlates. Whether the diagnostic context—oncological versus cardiovascular disease—moderates the relationship between personality and illness acceptance remains insufficiently studied. This study examined associations between the Big Five personality traits (NEO-FFI) and illness acceptance (AIS) in patients with cancer and cardiovascular disease, and tested whether diagnosis moderates these associations.