title: Type D (distressed) personality is associated with poor quality of life and mental health among 3080 cancer survivors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study assessed the association between Type D personality (the conjoint effect of negative affectivity and social inhibition) and quality of life (QoL) and mental health of cancer survivors up to 10 years post-diagnosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  All currently alive individuals diagnosed with endometrial or colorectal cancer between 1998 and 2007, or with lymphoma or multiple myeloma between 1999 and 2008 as registered in the Eindhoven Cancer Registry received a questionnaire on Type D personality (DS14), QoL (SF-36 or EORTC-QLQ-C30) and mental health (HADS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 3080 survivors who responded (69%), 572 (19%) had a Type D personality. Type D survivors had clinically meaningful lower levels of general health, social functioning, role-function emotional, mental health and vitality compared to non-Type D's (SF-36: all P's<0.001). They also reported clinically meaningful worse emotional and social functioning, global health status/QoL, and more fatigue (EORTC-QLQ-C30: all P's<0.001). This was also confirmed by multivariate logistic regression analyses showing that cancer survivors with a Type D personality were more likely to experience a decreased QoL on all SF-36 and EORTC-QLQ-C30 scales (all ORs ranging between 1.88 and 5.56). The proportion of survivors reporting an impaired QoL was higher among Type D (35-64%) than non-Type D's (20-36%). Finally, Type D's were more likely to be depressed (44% vs. 13%; P<0.0001) or anxious (51% vs. 14%; P<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cancer survivors with a Type D personality are at increased risk of impaired QoL and mental health problems that cannot be explained by socio-demographic or clinical characteristics.
authors.affiliation: CoRPS-Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic diseases, Department of Medical Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands; Comprehensive Cancer Centre South (CCCS), Eindhoven Cancer Registry, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. Electronic address: F.Mols@tilburguniversity.edu.
authors.forename: Floortje
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mols
authors.affiliation: CoRPS-Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic diseases, Department of Medical Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands; Comprehensive Cancer Centre South (CCCS), Eindhoven Cancer Registry, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Melissa S Y
authors.initials: MSY
authors.lastname: Thong
authors.affiliation: CoRPS-Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic diseases, Department of Medical Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands; Comprehensive Cancer Centre South (CCCS), Eindhoven Cancer Registry, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lonneke V van
authors.initials: LVV
authors.lastname: de Poll-Franse
authors.affiliation: CoRPS-Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic diseases, Department of Medical Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands; Department of Surgery, St. Elisabeth Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan Anne
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Roukema
authors.affiliation: CoRPS-Center of Research on Psychology in Somatic diseases, Department of Medical Psychology, Tilburg University, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Denollet
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality; D011788:Quality of Life; D012042:Registries; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*