Type D personality, depressive symptoms and work-related health outcomes

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.

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.

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.

Type D personality is related to adverse health outcomes in the working population, mediated by depression, which warrants further research for this personality type.