title: [Evaluation of the German Type D Scale (DS14) and prevalence of the Type D personality pattern in cardiological and psychosomatic patients and healthy subjects].
abstract: The Type D personality pattern, consisting of negative affectivity and social inhibition, has been shown by Denollet et al. to predict adverse prognosis in patients with coronary heart disease. For measuring the Type D characteristics, Denollet has devised the 14 item Type D scale (DS14). In the present study, this instrument was translated into German. The validity, reliability and adequacy of the German DS14 were then tested in 2421 persons, including cardiological and psychosomatic patients as well as healthy factory workers. The results document sound psychometric properties of the scale. Cronbach's alpha was 0.87 for the negative affectivity subscale and 0.86 for social inhibition. The two-factor structure of the original instrument could be clearly replicated. The prevalence rates of the Type D pattern were lowest in cardiological patients (25 %) and highest in psychosomatic patients (62 %). The prevalence in this German sample of cardiology patients was also lower than the one observed in healthy factory workers (32.5 %) and in CHD samples reported in the literature. These group differences could not be accounted for by differences in age and sex distribution. In conclusion, the DS14 is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used for an economic evaluation of the Type D characteristics in patients and healthy persons. The possible meaningfulness of the low Type D prevalence in cardiac patients and the prognostic relevance of this pattern require further study.
authors.affiliation: Fachbereich Sozialwesen der HTWK Leipzig (FH). grande@sozwes.htwk-leipzig.de
authors.forename: Gesine
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grande
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Maren
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kümmel
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Struwe
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schubmann
authors.forename: Friederike
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Unterberg
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: von Känel
authors.forename: Brigitte Martina
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Kudielka
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herrmann-Lingen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010556:Personality Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012919:Social Behavior