Abstract
Background: Type D personality (TDP) has been recognized as a risk factor for many diseases. Researches in association with TDP and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were limited. Aims: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of TDP, also to assess the relationship between TDP and perceived stress, self-efficacy, self-care behaviors, and psychological distress on Taiwanese patients with T2DM.Methods: 198 patients with T2DM were recruited consecutively from the department of endocrinology of a regional hospital in Taipei, Taiwan from December 2017 to April 2018. The participants completed questionnaires containing questions about sociodemographic characteristics, TDP, illness-related stress, self-efficacy, execution of diabetes management and emotional distress. Their medical records were reviewed for biomedical data.Results: 41.4% of the 198 patients had TDP. Controlling for sociodemographic factors, patients with TDP were reported significantly poorer on glycemic control than those without this personality (P<0.05). Compared to those without TDP, the results showed significantly higher levels of perceived stress (P<0.001) and psychological distress (anxiety and depression) (P<0.001), as well as significantly lower levels of self-efficacy (P<0.001) and self-care behaviors (P<0.001) on patients with TDP. TDP is positively correlated with perceived stress and psychological distress. It is negatively correlated with self-efficacy and self-care behavior scores.Discussion: This study provides the evidence linking TDP with poor glycemic control, self-efficacy, and self-care behaviors, as well as high perceived stress and psychological distress, which highlights the screening of TDP and the specific needs for the care among T2DM patients with TDP.
Do interactions between patients’ psychological distress and adherence to dietary recommendation predict glycemic control among persons with type 2 diabetes in Ghana?
