Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2009 Aug;18(6):689-98.
doi: 10.1007/s11136-009-9485-z. Epub 2009 May 9.

Beyond Type D personality: reduced positive affect (anhedonia) predicts impaired health status in chronic heart failure

Aline J Pelle  1 , Susanne S Pedersen, Balázs M Szabó, Johan Denollet
Affiliations

Beyond Type D personality: reduced positive affect (anhedonia) predicts impaired health status in chronic heart failure

Aline J Pelle et al. Qual Life Res. 2009 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: Type D personality has been associated with impaired health status in chronic heart failure (CHF), but other psychological factors may also be important.

Aim: To determine whether non-Type D patients with low positive affect and Type D patients report lower health status, compared with non-Type D patients with high positive affect at 12-month follow-up in chronic heart failure.

Methods: Consecutive CHF outpatients (n = 276) filled out the Short Form-12 (health status) and Health Complaints Scale (disease-specific complaints) at inclusion and 12-month follow-up, and the DS14 (Type D personality) and positive affect (Global Mood Scale) at inclusion. Three groups were composed: non-Type D patients without anhedonia, non-Type D patients with anhedonia, and Type D patients.

Results: After controlling for demographic and clinical confounders, and scores at inclusion, anhedonic non-Type D patients reported lower mental health status (beta = -.19, P < .004), and more feelings of disability (beta = .10, P = .04), marginally lower physical health status (beta = -.11, P = .07), and equal levels of cardiac symptoms (beta = .04, P = .43), when compared with non-Type D's without anhedonia. Type D patients reported lower levels of impaired mental health status, more cardiac symptoms and feelings of disability (-.31 < beta < .17, all Ps < .05). A trend was shown for physical health status (beta = -.11, P = .09).

Conclusion: Non-Type D patients low on positive affect and Type D patients report lower levels of health status in CHF, compared with non-Type D patients with high positive affect. Future studies need to determine whether lack of positive affect is associated with impaired clinical outcome.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flowchart of patient selection
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Mean health outcome scores at 12 months stratified by Type D personality and positive affect
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'DOI', 'value': '10.1016/j.jacc.2004.12.005', 'is_inner': False, 'url': 'https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2004.12.005'}, {'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '15734605', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15734605/'}]}
    2. Rozanski, A., Blumenthal, J. A., Davidson, K. W., Saab, P. G., & Kubzansky, L. (2005). The epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management of psychosocial risk factors in cardiac practice: The emerging field of behavioral cardiology. Journal of the American College of Cardiology,45, 637–651. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2004.12.005. - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'DOI', 'value': '10.1097/PSY.0b013e31818105ba', 'is_inner': False, 'url': 'https://doi.org/10.1097/psy.0b013e31818105ba'}, {'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '18725425', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18725425/'}]}
    2. Chida, Y., & Steptoe, A. (2008). Positive psychological well-being and mortality: A quantitative review of prospective observational studies. Psychosomatic Medicine,70, 741–756. doi:10.1097/PSY.0b013e31818105ba. - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'DOI', 'value': '10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1063', 'is_inner': False, 'url': 'https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1063'}, {'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '3397865', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3397865/'}]}
    2. Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,54, 1063–1070. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1063. - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'DOI', 'value': '10.1037/0022-3514.81.4.684', 'is_inner': False, 'url': 'https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.81.4.684'}, {'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '11642354', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11642354/'}]}
    2. Larsen, J. T., McGraw, A. P., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2001). Can people feel happy and sad at the same time? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,81, 684–696. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.81.4.684. - PubMed
    1. {'text': '', 'ref_index': 1, 'ids': [{'type': 'DOI', 'value': '10.1037/0033-2909.96.3.465', 'is_inner': False, 'url': 'https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.96.3.465'}, {'type': 'PubMed', 'value': '6393179', 'is_inner': True, 'url': 'https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6393179/'}]}
    2. Watson, D., & Clark, L. A. (1984). Negative affectivity: The disposition to experience aversive emotional states. Psychological Bulletin,96, 465–490. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.96.3.465. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources