title: Type D personality, depressive symptoms and work-related health outcomes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Personality may play a decisive role in perceiving work-related characteristics as stressful, leading to adverse health outcomes. Persons with a Distressed personality (Type D) experience increased negative emotions while inhibiting these emotions in social situations. We investigated the role of Type D personality on adverse health outcomes, sick leave, burnout and disability pension. The mediating role of depressive symptoms on this relation was assessed because Type D represents a vulnerability factor for depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cross-sectional community sample of the Dutch population (n = 1,172) Type D personality was related to sick-leave (five categories of days per year), burnout, and disability pension, controlling for confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Individuals with Type D personality reported more burnout (27% vs 8%), disability pension (32% vs 11%), and had an increased incidence of short-term sick leave (χ(2 )= 13.1, p = 0.011) as compared to non-Type D's. Type D was significantly related to burnout (odds ratio (OR) = 4.16) and disability pension (OR = 2.62) independent of confounders. The Sobel test indicated significant mediation of depression on the relation between Type D personality and the work-related health outcomes. After mediation Type D personality remained significantly related to burnout, indicating a unique unshared effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Type D personality is related to adverse health outcomes in the working population, mediated by depression, which warrants further research for this personality type.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Psychology, Tilburg University, Warandelaan 2, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands. P.M.C.Mommersteeg@uvt.nl
authors.forename: Paula M C
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Mommersteeg
authors.forename: Johan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Denollet
authors.forename: Elisabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Martens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004651:Employment / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D010415:Pensions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010551:Personality / Q000145:classification*; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*