Relation between personality and quality of postoperative recovery in day surgery patients

Personality factors have been found to influence long-term postoperative depressive symptoms, health and distress in inpatients. To our knowledge, no studies have analysed whether the personality traits of day surgery patients relate to postoperative recovery. Hence, this study aims to explore possible relationships between personality traits and the quality of postoperative recovery in patients undergoing day surgery.

Our study used a consecutive sample of 260 day surgery patients to explore possible relationships between personal traits, measured by a short Big Five scale, and postoperative recovery, measured by modified Quality of Recovery-40, on postoperative days 1, 7 and 14.

We found a positive correlation in changes of 'physical independence' and 'extroversion' (r = 0.20; P = 0.010) and 'intellect' (r = 0.18; P = 0.021) on postoperative days 1 and 7. These correlations were not observed on postoperative day 14. With regard to the change between days 7 and 14, correlations were found between 'physical interdependence' and 'agreeableness' and between 'physical interdependence' and 'conscientiousness' (r = -0.17; P = 0.028-0.030 for both).

Day surgery patients appear to be a homogenous group with stable personalities, demonstrating some minor correlations between personality traits and the quality of postoperative recovery on days 1, 7 and 14. However, further studies are needed.