Type D personality and cardiac output in response to stress.
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.
Williams
Lynn
L
Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK. lw18@stir.ac.uk
O'Carroll
Ronan E
RE
O'Connor
Rory C
RC
D000293:Adolescent; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology*; D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D013694:Temperament; D055815:Young Adult