Personality traits and coping strategies associated with treatment adherence in non-communicable chronic diseases: A systematic review

Psychological dispositions and behavioral adaptations are central to understanding adherence in chronic disease. This review examined how these factors influence adherence in adults with non-communicable chronic diseases, analyzing which personality traits and coping strategies shape adherence. A Scopus and Web of Science search (2013–2023) identified 20 studies ( n = 82,738), following PRISMA. Risk of bias was assessed with Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tools, and certainty with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Narrative synthesis indicated neuroticism and avoidant coping predicted poorer adherence, whereas conscientiousness, adaptive coping, and coping self-efficacy promoted enhanced adjustment. Openness, extraversion, and agreeableness had modest yet positive effects, and emotion-focused coping yielded context-dependent outcomes. Predominant cross-sectional designs and limited Global South representation underscore the need for tailored, context-sensitive interventions. The review was preregistered in Open Science Framework (OSF) and funded by the Chilean National Agency for Research and Development. Further longitudinal research is needed to clarify mechanisms and improve generalizability.