BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Tinnitus is a disease with high prevalence and a wide range of etiologies. Tinnitus has a lot of impact on the patients, causing psychological distress such as anxiety and depression. Type D personality is related to the negative emotions including to anxiety and depression. Therefore, the goal of this study was to understand the relationship between tinnitus and anxiety/depression/type D personality. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Ninety three patients with chronic subjective tinnitus, who visited the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head Neck Surgery in Yeungnam University Hospital from May, 2012 to October, 2012. The tinnitus patients were asked to complete a survey: regarding demographic data, otologic history, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAM-A), type D personality scale 14 (DS-14), and tinnitus handicap inventory (THI). RESULTS: The tinnitus patients had significantly higher levels of type D personality (58.1%). In the tinnitus patients, as the score of THI increased, the BDI and HAM-A scores increased. As the DS-14 score increased, the THI scores increased. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the tinnitus patients have high prevalence of type D personality compared to that shown in the general population. And the handicap of tinnitus is related to anxiety, depression and type D personality.
Anxiety* ; Depression* ; Humans ; Neck ; Prevalence ; Tinnitus* ; Type D Personality*

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Dizziness often takes a chronic course and can influence the emotion of life. Dizziness is associated with psychological factors such as anxiety and depression. Type D personality is also related to the negative emotions including anxiety and depression. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the correlation between chronic dizziness and anxiety/depression/type D personality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chronic dizziness was defined when the dizziness had persisted more than three months. We analyzed the data of 72 patients with chronic dizziness between November 2012 and August 2014. The patients with chronic dizziness were asked to complete a survey regarding demographic data, history of dizziness, Beck depression inventory-II (BDI-II), Hamilton anxiety scale (HAM-A), type D personality scale 14 (DS-14), and dizziness handicap inventory (DHI). RESULTS: The patients with chronic dizziness had a trend of higher frequency of type D personality (52.7%) compared to general population. In the patients with chronic dizziness, there was significant positive correlation between DHI score and BDI-II, HAM-A, and DS-14 score. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the patients with chronic dizziness, compared to the general population, have a trend of higher frequency of type D personality. There is significant positive correlation between chronic dizziness and anxiety/depression/type D personality.
Anxiety ; Depression ; Dizziness ; Humans ; Psychology ; Type D Personality

PURPOSE: This study was done to identify the effects of Type D personality on compassion fatigue, burnout, compassion satisfaction, and job stress in clinical nurses. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Data were collected from a convenience sample of 172 clinical nurses working in two tertiary hospitals. The structured questionnaires included Type D personality scale, compassion fatigue, burnout, compassion satisfaction, and job stress scales. RESULTS: About 79.7% of participants were classified as Type D personality group. The Type D personality was not related to general characteristics of clinical nurses. The Type D personality group showed statistically significant higher compassion fatigue, burnout, and job stress and lower compassion satisfaction compared to the non-Type D personality group. In addition, compassion fatigue and burnout were positively correlated with job stress and compassion fatigue was positively correlated with burnout. However, compassion satisfaction was negatively correlated with burnout. CONCLUSION: As the prevalence of Type D personality is high in clinical nurses, it is necessary to assess stress-related personality. In addition, management for the nurse with Type D personality is required to alleviate compassion fatigue, burnout, and job stress and to improve compassion satisfaction.
Empathy* ; Fatigue* ; Prevalence ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Type D Personality* ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: The purpose of study was to examine and compare the clinical practicum stress, depression, and self-efficacy between Type D and non-Type D personality among nursing students. METHODS: This study used a descriptive correlational survey design. Subjects included a total of 120 nursing students (Type D personality: n=60, non-Type D personality: n=60) in Seoul, Korea. The collected data were analyzed using a descriptive statistics, χ² test, Fisher's exact test, independent t-test, ANCOVA, and Scheffe test as a post hoc test with SPSS/WIN 21.0 program. RESULTS: There were significant differences on clinical practicum stress (t=2.81, p=.029), depression (t=6.67, p<.001), and self-efficacy (t=9.84. p<.001) between non-Type D and Type D personality among nursing students. CONCLUSION: Type D personality in nursing students had higher clinical practicum stress and depression than them of non-Type D personality in nursing students. Nursing interventions or strategies for Type D personality in nursing students are needed to decrease clinical practicum stress and depression.
Depression* ; Humans ; Korea ; Nursing* ; Preceptorship* ; Seoul ; Students, Nursing* ; Type D Personality*

OBJECTIVE: Type D personality can be regarded as a promising cardiovascular risk marker that has been repeatedly linked to relevant indicators of mental health, quality of life, morbidity, and mortality in cardiac patients. Heart rate variability (HRV) is a non-invasive technology that can provide information regarding a patient's sympathetic/parasympathetic balance and the control mechanisms of the autonomic systems in the cardiovascular system. As both type D personality and HRV are parameters related to the cardiovascular system, we assumed a relationship between type D personality and HRV. This study set out to identify the relationship between type D and HRV and the differences in HRV variables between type D and non-type D personalities. METHODS: Patients who visited Guro Community Mental Health Center from January 2011 to December 2012 were surveyed. They were evaluated using both the Korean version of the Type D Personality-14 for type D personality and HRV. During the survey, those who reported major cardiovascular disease that can affect heart rate variability were excluded from the study. RESULTS: Our analysis included 559 participants, 249 of whom were classified as type D personality. No significant differences were found in the HRV variables between the type D group and the non-type D group. There were also no clinically meaningful correlations between HRV variables and type D total/subscale scores when controlled for patient age. CONCLUSION: A relationship between HRV and type D personality was not identified using short-term HRV measurements in non-clinical patients with no definitive cardiovascular disease. Further studies using long-term HRV measurements in patients with cardiovascular disease are necessary to conclude an association between HRV and type D personality.
Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cardiovascular System ; Heart Rate* ; Humans ; Mental Health* ; Mortality ; Quality of Life ; Type D Personality*

PURPOSE: This study was performed to identify the factors that influence dysmenorrhea. METHODS: In this study, 205 female participants were enrolled. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that included scales to assess general characteristics, personality type, dietary assessment, eincrease exposure toward endocrine disrupting chemicals, and the occurrence of dysmenorrhea. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson's correlational coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression, using the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program. RESULTS: The average score for dysmenorrhea was 85.04±32.69 points. The percentage of participants belonging to the Type D Personality group was 21.0%. Type D Personality (r=0.473, p < 0.001) and increase exposure toward endocrine disrupting chemicals (r=0.532, p < 0.001) correlated moderately with the level of dysmenorrhea. The correlation between the degree of dietary assessment and the level of dysmenorrhea was weakly negative (r=−0.170, p < 0.05). The most powerful predictor of dysmenorrhea was personality type (β=0.37, p < 0.001). A combination of the following factors accounted for 27.3% of the variance in dysmenorrhea: menstrual amount, menstrual regulation, occupation, and marital status. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that when nursing assessments and interventions are performed for women with dysmenorrhea, it is necessary for nurses to take into account the personality type of the patient.
Dysmenorrhea ; Endocrine Disruptors ; Female ; Humans ; Marital Status ; Nursing Assessment ; Occupations ; Type D Personality ; Weights and Measures

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to describe the pattern of type D personality, to compare the life style and quality of life between type D personality and non-type D personality patients, and to investigate the factors influencing quality of life in patients with hypertension. METHODS: A cross sectional, descriptive study was used. The participants in this study were 193 outpatients who were diagnosed with hypertension at two university hospitals in urban area, Korea. The data was collected from December, 2006 to January, 2007. Type D personality was measured by the DS-14 scale. RESULTS: The prevalence of type D personality was 83.9%. Patients of type D personality were significantly different in educational status, monthly income, fat intake and exercise, and had a lower overall quality of life than patients of non-type D personality. Under controlled general characteristics and life style factors, multiple linear regression analysis was performed. The most significant factor influencing quality of life in hypertensive patients was type D personality, and this factor explained their quality of life with a variance of 14.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Various programs for psychological intervention are required to control for the distressed personality of patients with hypertension. Further studies should be conducted prospectively on a larger patient population.
Educational Status ; Hospitals, University ; Humans ; Hypertension* ; Korea ; Life Style* ; Linear Models ; Outpatients ; Prevalence ; Quality of Life* ; Type D Personality*

OBJECTIVE: Low-income adults are considered to be a group at high risk for suicide. We sought to examine the effect of type D personality and other socio-demographic factors on suicidality in low-income, middle-aged Koreans. METHODS: In total, 306 low-income, middle-aged Koreans [age: 49.16+/-5.24 (40-59) years, 156 males, 150 females] were enrolled from the Korean National Basic Livelihood Security System. Socio-demographic data, including employment status, income, health, marital status, and educational attainment, were gathered. Beck's 19-item Scale for Suicidal Ideation (SSI) was applied to evaluate suicidality, and the DS14 was used to assess type D personality. RESULTS: Unemployment (p<0.01) and absence of spouse (p=0.03) predicted higher SSI scores independent of other socioeconomic factors. All type D personality scores [i.e., negative affectivity (NA), social inhibition (SI), and total score] predicted higher SSI scores independent of all socioeconomic factors (all, p<0.001). Subjects with type D personality had higher SSI scores (p<0.001), and the association between suicidality and socio-demographic factors (employment or physical health) could be found only in subjects without type D personality. CONCLUSION: Type D personality was a risk factor for suicide in low-income Koreans, independently from socio-economic factors. In addition, the socio-demographic factors were less prominently associated with suicidality in those with type D personality.
Adult* ; Employment ; Humans ; Male ; Marital Status ; Risk Factors ; Socioeconomic Factors ; Spouses ; Suicidal Ideation ; Suicide ; Type D Personality* ; Unemployment

OBJECTIVE: Although Type D personality has been associated with the prognosis of various cardiac diseases, few studies have investigated the influence of Type D personality on the cardiac and psychiatric prognoses of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS: Depression, anxiety, and quality of life were measured at baseline and 6 months. The recurrence of AF was measured during 1-year following radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) for AF. The Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank tests were used to compare the cumulative recurrence of AF. ACox proportional hazard model was conducted to identify factors that contribute to the recurrence of AF. RESULTS: A total of 236 patients admitted for RFCA were recruited. Patients with a Type D personality had higher levels of depression and anxiety and a poorer quality of life compared to controls. Although depression, anxiety, and quality of life had improved 6 months after RFCA, significant differences in psychiatric symptoms remained between patients with and without Type D personality. In the Cox models, the type of AF was the only factor that influenced the recurrence of AF. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that Type D personality predominately influences psychological distress in patients with AF, but not the recurrence of AF.
Anxiety ; Atrial Fibrillation* ; Catheter Ablation* ; Catheters* ; Depression ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Methods ; Prognosis* ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Quality of Life ; Recurrence ; Type D Personality*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of type D personality on cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participation rates and the effect of a short-term CR program. METHODS: Study participants included patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention. Patients completed the Type D personality Scale (DS-14) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at program entry. Subjects were recommended participation in 6 weeks of CR exercise training. Cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) was conducted before and after completion of the training. CR participation refers to completion of the 6-week CR exercise program and performance of the secondary CPET. Drop-out refers to the subjects who were unable to participate in the 6-week CR exercise program or to perform the secondary CPET. RESULTS: At baseline, type D personality was evident in 21 of 63 patients (33.3%). Type D patients were more often depressed (57.1%) and anxious (38.1%) than non-type D patients (31.0% and 9.5%, respectively). At baseline, participants with type D personality showed a decreased body mass index (24.6 vs. 26.1 kg/m², p=0.025). The type D group displayed a lower CR participation rate (5/21, 23.8%) compared with the non-type D group of (22/42, 52.4%). Logistic regression analysis revealed the association of type D personality with CR drop-out rate (odds ratio=3.87; 95% confidence interval, 1.2–12.5; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Type D personality was independently associated with drop-out from CR program and with significantly higher levels of anxiety and depressive mood.
Acute Coronary Syndrome ; Anxiety ; Body Mass Index ; Coronary Artery Disease* ; Coronary Vessels* ; Depression ; Exercise Test ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Rehabilitation* ; Type D Personality*