The physical and psychological health benefits of positive emotional writing: Investigating the moderating role of Type D (distressed) personality

The promotion of functional expected teaching-related emotions through expressive writing

The aim of the present preregistered study was to examine whether expressive writing can help teacher students to develop functional expected teaching-related emotions. In a variation of James W. Pennebaker´s expressive writing paradigm, 129 teacher students were randomly assigned to write on three consecutive days either about the future teaching-related events that personally trigger the greatest fear and joy (treatment group: n = 67) or about a walk in a forest and a city park (control group: n = 62). In both groups, expected teaching-related positive emotions increased and expected teaching-related negative emotions decreased with increased writing sessions. After the writing sessions, the treatment group reported a stronger change in their view about their future professional life as a teacher, a more active personal involvement with their future professional life, and an increased motivation to use expressive writing in the future. These results demonstrate that expressive writing is a promising tool to promote teacher students’ expected teaching-related emotions.

Evaluation of Coping Strategies among Students with Type D Personality

Objective: Personality type D may be associated with a predisposition to develop stress under external adverse influences, for example, in the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, type D personality is associated with higher burnout levels; thus, it may contribute to the development of diseases symptoms. The current study was designed to examine the coping strategies in young healthy persons with personality type D. Methods: The study included 98 medical students, with 30 being males. The participants completed questionnaires to identify personality type D (DS-14) and the coping strategies. Depending on the results of the DS-14 questionnaire, four subgroups were distinguished with different levels of points on the NA and SI subscales. Results: For persons with type D personality, the escape–avoidance strategy was used more often, the accepting responsibility and self-controlling strategies were less common compared with non-type-D individuals. When type D was adjusted for the NA and SI subscales, the correlation remained only with escape–avoidance strategy. We did not find a synergistic effect of the NA and SI subscales in regard to coping. Conclusions: This study demonstrated a link between personality type D and maladaptive coping strategies. The predominance of the maladaptive coping strategy in type D is a possible point of application for psychosocial training in such individuals that requires further research.

Written benefit finding for improving psychological health during the Covid-19 pandemic first wave lockdown

Objectives. Written benefit finding is known to improve psychological and physical health in a range of patient groups. Here, we tested the efficacy of written benefit finding, delivered online during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown, on mood and physical symptoms. We also investigated perseverative thinking as a moderator of these effects. Design. A quantitative longitudinal design was employed. Main Outcome Measures. Participants (n = 91) completed self-report measures of anxiety, depression, stress and physical symptoms at baseline, and two weeks after being randomised to complete three consecutive days of writing about the positive thoughts and feelings they experienced during the pandemic (written benefit finding) or to unemotively describe the events of the previous day (control). State anxiety was measured immediately before and after writing. Perseverative thinking was measured at baseline. Results. Anxiety and depression symptoms decreased between baseline and the two week follow-up, but did not differ significantly between the two conditions. Perseverative thinking was negatively associated with changes in symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress, but did not moderate any writing effects. There was a significant reduction in state anxiety in the written benefit finding condition. Conclusions. Written benefit finding may be a useful intervention for short-term improvements in wellbeing.

A review and conceptual model of the association of Type D personality with suicide risk

The role of personality as distal risk factor for suicidal thoughts and behavior is still unclear. This review aims to propose two conceptual models that explain the psychological plausibility of Type D personality as distal risk factor and contributor to the transition from general to suicide distress. To support this aim, we performed a systematic review of existing studies on the association between Type D personality and suicidal distress. A systematic search yielded eight studies that reported on Type D personality and suicidal distress. Type D personality was robustly associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors, across populations and countries. Type D was related to the level/frequency of suicidal ideation in seven studies, and suicide attempt in two studies. Our first theoretical model identifies intra-psychic (depression, alcohol misuse, posttraumatic stress) and interpersonal (low belonging, social isolation, lack of support) vulnerabilities of individuals with Type D that may fuel the development of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Type D by itself will not account for why people become suicidal, but our second theoretical model suggests that the avoidant-passive tendencies of Type D individuals may result in persistent problem-solving deficits, and, eventually, feelings of entrapment that may contribute to the desire to escape from pain. We conclude that empirical evidence supports the hypothesized link between Type D personality, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Our conceptual models - albeit often supported by indirect evidence - further substantiate the plausibility of this link, and offer concrete guidance for future studies. Primarily, more longitudinal research is necessary.

The Influence of Personality Type D on Cardiovascular Prognosis in Patients After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting: Data from a 5-Year-Follow-up Study

BACKGROUND

Type D personality is accompanied by a set of negative behavioral patterns: low physical activity, high levels of psychological distress, low adherence to treatment. However, studies regarding predictive value of the type D personality remain inconclusive: the results varied depending on the examined cohort, age, and ethnicity. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of type D personality on the 5-year prognosis in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in Russian population.

METHODS

The study included 602 patients with stable coronary artery disease (490 males, 57.7 ± 7.3 years) who had received CABG and were divided into two groups: patients with type D personality (n = 134) and patients without type D (n = 468). The risk of fatal and nonfatal events within 5 years after CABG was assessed.

RESULTS

There was no difference in total mortality in patients with type D and without type D (7.9% and 7.7%, respectively) over the 5-year period. The absence of cardiac events was detected much less frequently in patients with type D (28%) compared with patients without type D (82%; p = 0.021). Multivariate analysis found independent association between the unfavorable outcome and presence of diabetes mellitus (p = 0.021), type D personality (p = 0.039), and multifocal atherosclerosis (p = 0.033) regardless of gender, age, previous myocardial infarction, and stroke.

CONCLUSIONS

Type D patients had a greater risk for cardiac events over 5 years after CABG compared with non-type D patients. Obtained data indicates that it is reasonable to consider personality type while detecting patients at risk of development of stress induced cardiac complications after CABG.

Emotion recognition from physiological signals and video games to detect personality traits

This paper presents a system that allows for the identification of two values: arousal and valence, which represent the degree of stimulation in a subject, using Russell’s model of affect as a reference. To identify emotions, a step-by-step structure is used, which, based on statistical data from physiological signal metrics, generates the representative arousal value (direct correlation); from the PANAS questionnaire, the system generates the valence value (inverse correlation), as a first approximation to the techniques of emotion recognition without the use of artificial intelligence. The system gathers information concerning arousal activity from a subject using the following metrics: beats per minute (BPM), heart rate variability (HRV), the number of galvanic skin response (GSR) peaks in the skin conductance response (SCR) and forearm contraction time, using three physiological signals (Electrocardiogram - ECG, Galvanic Skin Response - GSR, Electromyography - EMG).

Association between Satisfaction with Life and Personality Types A and D in Young Women with Acne Vulgaris

People with acne vulgaris report a lower level of satisfaction with life and are more frequently classified as having Type D personalities than those without acne. This research examined, for the first time, the moderating and mediating role of personality type in the relationship between acne severity and satisfaction with life. Among 300 female nursing and cosmetology students ranging in age from 19 to 24 years (M = 21.28, SD = 1.39), 150 individuals (50%) presented with symptoms of acne vulgaris (AV group), while the other 150 (50%) were categorized as controls without acne vulgaris (WAV sample). A cross-sectional study was conducted using three self-report questionnaires: The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Framingham Type A Scale (FTAS), and the Type D Scale (DS14). Acne vulgaris was clinically diagnosed using the Hellgren–Vincent Scale (HVS). The AV group scored significantly higher on the FTAS and DS14 and lower on the SWLS than the WAV sample. Life satisfaction correlated negatively with both the negative affectivity (NA) and social inhibition (SI) subscales of the DS14. The moderating role of the Type A behavioral pattern (TABP) and the mediating role of both NA and SI subscales of the DS14 were observed in the relationship between acne severity and satisfaction with life. The type of personality may explain the mechanism of the relationship between acne disease and subjective well-being. Therefore, psychological interventions and strategies focused on managing stress and mood may effectively improve satisfaction with life in people with acne.

Online writing about positive life experiences reduces depression and perceived stress reactivity in socially inhibited individuals

Therapeutic writing can enhance psychological and physical health. Recent studies have suggested that these kinds of interventions can be effective when delivered online. The present study investigated whether positive emotional writing online can influence psychological and physical health in individuals reporting high levels of negative affectivity, who are most likely to benefit from psychological intervention (N = 72, M_age = 28.5, SD_age = 8.7), and further, to investigate the potential moderating role of social inhibition. Participants completed self-report measures of physical symptoms, perceived stress, perceived stress reactivity, depression and generalised anxiety, before completing either i) positive emotional writing, or ii) a non-emotive control writing task on an online portal, for 20 min per day over three consecutive days. State anxiety was measured immediately after each writing session, and self-report questionnaires were again administered four weeks post-writing. Socially inhibited individuals exhibited significant reductions in depression and perceived stress reactivity four weeks following positive emotional writing, relative to writing about a neutral topic. The present study supports the efficacy of online therapeutic writing in individuals who, due to their socially inhibited nature, are most likely to benefit from online interventions which avoid interaction with a therapist or other clients.

The dyadic effects of Type D personality on health in romantic couples

Objective: An individual's own personality traits are powerful predictors of their health outcomes (actor effects). However, the effect of personality on health may also occur at an interpersonal level, whereby the personalities of people close to the individual also affect his or her health outcomes (partner effects). Our objective was to examine the actor and partner effects of Type D personality on health in romantic couples for the first time.Design: Cross-sectional questionnaire-based study (N = 364), consisting of 182 romantic couples from the general population (mean age = 35.7 years).Main outcome measures: Each participant completed self-report measures of Type D personality (DS14), health behaviours (GPHB), mood (DASS-21) and quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF).Results: Data were analysed using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM). The APIM showed no actor or partner effects of the overall Type D construct. However, there were actor effects of negative affect for both males and females on depression and quality of life, a male actor effect of social inhibition on quality of life, and a female partner effect of social inhibition on depression.Conclusions: These findings suggest that there are both actor and partner effects of the Type D components on some health outcomes.