Type A behaviour pattern, extraversion, neuroticism and psychological distress

Abstract

The factorial structure of a nine-item Framingham Type A Scale, the 30-item General Health Questionnaire, the 57-item Eysenck Personality Inventory and a 20-item checklist of predominantly physical symptoms was examined in a nationally representative sample of 3065 women and 2520 men. For both women and men, the six principal components extracted from the 116 items and orthogonally rotated clearly corresponded to the six variables of psychological distress, neuroticism, symptoms, extraversion, the Lie scale and the Type A behaviour pattern. While Type A was positively correlated with neuroticism, psychological distress, extraversion and symptoms, there was no support for the idea that it could be more parsimoniously subsumed under these variables. Type A also showed a significant but very small positive association with self-reported coronary heart disease in men, although the correlations between heart disease and psychological distress, neuroticism and symptoms were more positive.

Managerial stress, job satisfaction and health in Taiwan

“…18 However, caution must be exercised when generalizing across measures as the components of Type A behaviour are not themselves highly interrelated (ref. 26 and the present study).…”

“…These results are consistent with the existing evidence indicating that the speed±impatience component, and not the competitive drive, is associated with psychological distress. 26 These ®ndings also underline the importance of treating Type A behaviour as a multidimensional construct, with some of its characteristics relating directly to work strain without moderating the stress±strain nexus. Some researchers even claim that certain speci®c components of the Type A behaviour pattern may even be bene®cial to psychological well-being among executives.…”

Psychosocial aspects in cardiac rehabilitation: From theory to practice. A position paper from the Cardiac Rehabilitation Section of the European Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation of the European Society of Cardiology

“…130 While there is little evidence that Type A personality is a prognostic factor in patients with CHD, 131 it may be a risk marker for psychological distress. 132 About 25% of patients in CR with a recent MI present with Type A behaviour, 133 and CR programmes targeting type A behaviour may reduce psychological distress.…”

Risks for cardiovascular disease in middle-aged women in different social environments

“…Other risk factors for MI are stress, depression, and lack of locus of control (Rosengren et al, 2004, Denollet et al, 2000. Physiological risk factors might arise from psychosocial stress (Kuper, 2002), and these are also related to the development of atherosclerosis and high blood pressure, thus enhancing the risk of cardiovascular mortality (Cramer, 1991). Psychosocial risk factors increase the risk of developing and worsening the prognosis of CVD, and the psychobiological mechanism is well described in the literature (Perk et al, 2012, Kop WJ, 1997, Gonzalez et al, 2009).…”

“…A meta-analysis has also reported that type A behavior has no influence on the development of CVD (Myrtek, 2001). A type A personality may be a risk marker for psychological distress, even though there is minor indication for a prognostic factor in patients with CVD (Kuper et al, 2002, Cramer, 1991. Type D personality (which includes distressed behavior) involves a permanent predisposition to experience an inhibition of self-expression in relation to others (social inhibition) and a broader spectrum of negative emotions (negative affectivity).…”