Personality type of the glaucoma patient.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the personality profile of glaucoma subjects.


METHODS
One hundred eight subjects including 56 open-angle glaucoma (OAG) and 52 controls were given the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) test and all performed automated perimetry. Clinical and demographic information which could relate to personality type was collected.


RESULTS
OAG subjects had significantly higher Hypochondriasis (Hs; P=0.0082), Hysteria (Hy; P=0.0056), and Health Concerns (HEA; P=0.0025) mean scores than the control group. OAG subjects also had a significantly greater frequency of clinically abnormal score for hysteria (P=0.0262), and health concerns (P=0.0018). Multivariate analysis of variance revealed that Hypochondriasis, Hysteria, and Health Concerns scores were related to number of systemic medications used and to diagnostic group. Other potential explanatory variables such as sex, ethnicity, number of medical problems, length of glaucoma diagnosis, occurrence of glaucoma surgery, intraocular pressure, and visual status (logMAR, visual field indices) were not related to these personality scores.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with a diagnosis of OAG had more abnormal MMPI-2 scores in areas that focus upon concerns of somatic complaints and poor health. The use of systemic medications, which may be a constant reminder of illness, is a factor that may contribute to higher MMPI-2 scores.
Lim
Michele C
MC
Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Science, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. michele.lim@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu
Shiba
Diana R
DR
Clark
Ingrid J
IJ
Kim
Daniel Y
DY
Styles
Douglas E
DE
Brandt
James D
JD
Watnik
Mitchell R
MR
Barthelow
Isaac J
IJ
D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D006998:Hypochondriasis / Q000150:complications; D007046:Hysteria / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality / Q000145:classification*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011446:Prospective Studies