Type D personality and physical and mental health were assessed online by 558 patients with self-reported fibromyalgia (94% women, age 47±11 (21–77) years) by the Type D Scale-14 and RAND-36 Health Status Inventory.
Using the standard cutscores, Type D personality was present in 56.5% of patients. Negative affectivity alone and combined with social inhibition was associated with worse mental and, more limited, physical health, but no interactive (synergistic) associations were found.
Type D personality in fibromyalgia exceeds prevalence estimates in general, cardiovascular and chronic pain populations. Some indication of an additive but not of a synergistic effect was found, particularly for mental health, with clearly the largest associations for negative affectivity. The high prevalence of Type D’s components may have specific treatment implications.