The relation between type D personality and the clinical condition of patients suffering from psoriasis

INTRODUCTION TYPE D PERSONALITY IS THE LAST DISTINGUISHED SPECIFIC TYPE OF PERSONALITY THAT IS CHARACTERISED BY TWO DIMENSIONS: a tendency for feeling negative emotions - depression, anxiety, anger or hostility, and a tendency for withdrawal from the society. The latest research shows the significant role played by type D personality in the aetiology and course of a variety of diseases. AIM The article discusses the problem of the occurrence of type D personality in the group of patients suffering from psoriasis. Diversities in the clinical condition of psoriasis patients due to increasing type D personality traits are specified. MATERIAL AND METHODS Ninety psoriasis patients and 86 healthy subjects participated in the research. In the research questionnaires, the scale for assessing increasing psoriasis complaints and the DS-14 scale to assess type D personality were applied. RESULTS Research results made it possible to corroborate more frequent occurrence of type D personality among psoriasis patients. Moreover, it was found that with increasing negative affectivity - one of type D personality components - complaints increase as far as the clinical condition of psoriasis patients is concerned. CONCLUSIONS Monitoring of psychological well-being of psoriasis patients, especially within type D personality, seems to be a vital element, irrespective of purely medical treatment.