Association between Type-D Personality and Affective (Anxiety, Depression, Post-traumatic Stress) Symptoms and Maladaptive Coping in Breast Cancer Patients: A Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND: Type-D (distressed) personality has not been prospectively explored for its association with psychosocial distress symptoms in breast cancer patients. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that Type-D personality can be associated with psychosocial distress variables in cancer over a 2-point period (6 month-follow-up). AIMS: The aim of the study was to analyze the role of Type-D personality in relation to anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, general distress, and maladaptive coping among cancer patients. METHODS: 145 breast cancer patients were assessed within 6 months from diagnosis (T0) and again 6 months later (T1). The Type-D personality Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Depression subscale (HAD-D), the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) Anxiety subscale, the Distress Thermometer (DT), the Post-traumatic Symptoms (PTS) Impact of Event Scale (IES), and the Mini Mental Adjustment to Cancer (Mini-MAC) Anxious Preoccupation and Hopelessness scales were individually administered at T0 and T1. RESULTS: One-quarter of cancer patients met the criteria for Type-D personality, which was stable over the follow-up time. The two main constructs of Type-D personality, namely social inhibition (SI) and negative affectivity (NA), were related to anxiety, depression, PTS, BSI-general distress and maladaptive coping (Mini-MAC anxious preoccupation and hopelessness). In regression analysis, Type-D SI was the most significant factor associated with the above-mentioned psychosocial variables, both at T0 and T1. CONCLUSION: Likewise other medical disorders (especially cardiology), Type-D personality has been confirmed to be a construct significantly related to psychosocial distress conditions and maladaptive coping that are usually part of assessment and intervention in cancer care. More attention to personality issues is important in oncology.