Type D (distressed) personality and its assessment with the DS14 in Lithuanian patients with coronary artery disease

Abstract

We examined Type D personality (combination of negative affectivity with social inhibition) and its assessment with the DS14 in 543 Lithuanian coronary patients. Psychometric analyses confirmed the two-factor structure, internal consistency ( α = 0.84/ α = 0.75), and test–retest reliability ( r = 0.69/0.81) of the DS14 negative affectivity and inhibition components. Negative affectivity correlated ( r = −0.58) with emotional stability and social inhibition ( r = −0.46) with extraversion; correlations with other Big-Five traits ranged between r = −0.11 and −0.19. Type D patients (34%) had a ninefold increased odds of depression (95% confidence interval = 5.01–17.36) and a fivefold increased odds of anxiety (95% confidence interval = 3.47–7.97). These findings support the validity of the Type D construct in Lithuania.