Type D personality and cardiac output in response to stress

Citation

Williams L, O'Carroll R & O'Connor R (2009) Type D personality and cardiac output in response to stress. Psychology and Health, 24 (5), pp. 489-500. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=sph&AN=40627338&site=ehost-live; https://doi.org/10.1080/08870440701885616

Abstract
Type D personality is predictive of adverse clinical outcome and psychological distress in cardiac patients. However, the mechanisms by which Type D affects health are largely unknown. This study (1) investigated the relationship between Type D and cardiovascular reactivity to experimentally induced stress and (2) tested the influence of Type D on subjective feelings of stress. Eighty four healthy young adults (50% males, mean (SD) age 22 (6.84) years), completed measures of Type D personality, stress arousal and a stress-inducing procedure involving a taxing mental arithmetic task. Cardiovascular measures were recorded throughout the experiment. Mixed measures ANOVA showed a significant main effect of Type D and a significant group by time effect of Type D on cardiac output in male participants. Type D males exhibit significantly higher cardiac output during the stressor phase compared to non-Type D males. However, there was no relationship between Type D and cardiovascular reactivity in females. In addition, Type D individuals exhibited significantly higher feelings of subjective stress compared to non-Type D's. These findings provide new evidence on Type D and suggest that Type D may affect health through increased cardiac output and higher subjective feelings of stress following acute stress.

Keywords
Adult; Adults; Affect; AFFILIATION; age; C; cardiovascular disease; Distress; evidence; experiment; Female; Females; Health; INDIVIDUALS; language; Male; MALES; MECHANISM; MECHANISMS; mental; MENTAL arithmetic; negative affect; NUMBER; outcome; PARTICIPANTS; patient; Patients; Personality; PHASE; Psychological distress; PSYCHOLOGY; reactivity; relationship; social inhibition; Stirling; Stress; TASK; time; Type D personality; UK; universities; YOUNG adults; Personality; Stress (Psychology)

Journal
Psychology and Health: Volume 24, Issue 5

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Professor Ronan O'Carroll

Professor, Psychology