Article Text
Abstract
Background Type D personality is a distressed personality type involving two personality traits, namely negative affectivity and social inhibition, which are described as tendency to experience negative emotions and to inhibit self-expression in social relationships, respectively (1).
Objectives The present study investigated the prevalence of type D personality in Turkish patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and evaluated the association between type D personality and clinical parameters of FM. Although there is adequate number of studies focusing on the relation between FM and psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety; this topic has been rarely addressed in the literature.
Methods A total of 100 patients with FM fulfilling 1990 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) diagnostic criteria and 50 healthy controls were included. Type D personality was assessed by Type D Scale-14 (DS-14). FM disease severity was determined by Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), functional status by Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) by Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Severity of pain and fatigue were measured by Visual Analog Scale (VAS).
Results Prevalence of type D personality was 33% in FM patients, and 12% in controls. It was higher in the patients with FM (Odds ratio (OR) =3.612 confidence interval (CI) 95% (1.398–9.333)) (p<0.01) compared with controls. Type D FM patients scored higher in tender point count (TPC), FIQ, HAQ, VAS-pain and all NHP subgroups except energy (p<0.01) (Table 1). Type D personality was found as correlated with FIQ, TPC, HAQ, VAS-pain and NHP subgroups except energy (p<0.01).
Conclusions Type D personality is prevalent among Turkish patients with FM, with a rate of 33%. It is associated with poor HRQoL regarding pain, physical mobility, sleep, and social and emotional functions. Based on our findings, assessment of personality characteristics of the patients with FM may hold the key for the treatment of the disease. Presence of type D personality should be taken into account in FM in order to develop new treatment strategies for the patients who have inadequate response to conventional therapies.
References
Denollet J. Type D personality: a potential risk factor refined. J Psychosom Res 2000;49:255–66.
References
Disclosure of Interest None declared