Type d personality, temperament, and mental health in military personnel awaiting deployment

Abstract

Background The Type D (distressed) personality refers to a general propensity to psychological distress defined by the combination of negative affectivity and social inhibition. Type D personality predicts poor mental and physical health in cardiac patients, but it has been argued that its assessment is affected by the state of illness. Therefore, validation of the Type D construct in healthy adults remains essential. Purpose The objectives of this study were (1) to validate Type D personality against temperament and character dimensions in young, healthy adults and (2) to investigate the association between Type D personality and predeployment mental health. Method Type D personality, temperament, and questionnaires on mental health were filled out by 86 healthy male Dutch military personnel before UN deployment to Afghanistan. Results Type D personality was present in 16% of healthy military personnel before deployment. The Type D components social inhibition (α=0.89) and negative affectivity (α= 0.85) correlated positively with harm avoidant temperament (r=0.66 and 0.46) and negatively with self-directed character (r=-0.33 and -0.57). In addition, these four traits loaded on the same broad personality dimension. Military men with a Type D personality not only reported significantly less selfdirectedness and more harm avoidance as compared to non- Type D men (p<0.001) but also more symptoms of PTSD, general emotional distress, and hostility (all p<0.012). Conclusions Type D personality was associated with harm avoidance, low self-directedness, and increased symptoms of PTSD and hostility in men awaiting deployment. This association was not caused by any somatic confounding in these young, healthy men. © International Society of Behavioral Medicine 2010.