Correlations Between Personality Types, Disease Activity and Quality of Life in As and RA Patients

Teodora Donisan¹, Madalina Dobrin², Denisa Predeteanu^3,4, Violeta Claudia Bojinca^4,5, Mihai Bojinca^6,7, Dinu Valentin Balanescu¹, Laura Grosanu^3,5, Florian Berghea^4,5, Cosmin Constantinescu^4,5, Daniela Opris^3,4, Andreea Borangiu^3,8, Ruxandra Ionescu^3,4 and Andra Rodica Balanescu^4,5, ¹University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, Bucharest, Romania, ²Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology “Sf. Maria” Hospital, Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology “Sf. Maria” Hospital, Bucharest, Romania, ³University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology “Sf. Maria” Hospital, Bucharest, Romania, ⁴Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology “Sf. Maria” Hospital, Bucharest, Romania, ⁵Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology “Sf. Maria” Hospital, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, Bucharest, Romania, ⁶Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology “Dr. I. Cantacuzino” Hospital, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, Bucharest, Romania, ⁷Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology “Dr. I. Cantacuzino” Hospital, Bucharest, Romania, ⁸University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol Davila”, Department of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology “Sf. Maria” Hospital, Romania, Bucharest, Romania

Meeting: 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting

Date of first publication: September 29, 2015

Keywords: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), Disease Activity, quality of life and rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

Session Information

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Title: Rheumatoid Arthritis - Clinical Aspects Poster Session III

Session Type: ACR Poster Session C

Session Time: 9:00AM-11:00AM

Background/Purpose: It is well established that health related quality of life (HRQoL) is low in patients (pts) with RA and AS. Type C and D behavior patterns negatively influence perceptions on HRQoL, but there is little evidence on the relationship between personality types and clinical outcomes in RA and AS.

Methods: 194 pts from two Rheumatology Departments (104 with RA: 7.7% men, 92.3% women, mean age 59.08 years old, mean duration of disease 12.77 years; 90 with SA: 75.6 men, 22.4 women, mean age 43.63 years old, mean duration of disease 12.7 years) participated in a questionnaire study. HRQoL was evaluated with Medical Outcome Study Short-Term 36 (SF-36v2), analyzing all subscales (Physical function-PF, Social function-SF, Role limitations due to physical problems-RP, Role limitations due to emotional problems-RE, Mental health-MH, Vitality-VT, Bodily Pain-BP and Global Health-GH, including the summary physical component scores-PCS and mental component scores-MCS), personality type A/B with Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS-13), type C with State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory Anger-in Scale (AIS), type D with Type D Personality Scale (DS-14) and disease activity with DAS28 for RA and BASDAI for AS. Pearson’s correlation coefficient and independent samples t-tests were used and results were considered statistically significant at p<0.05.

Results: In the RA group, type D pts have significant correlations with 7/12 SF36 components, exhibiting limited functional status (higher RP and RE, lower SF), welfare (higher BP, lower VT and MH) and overall decreased GH. These associations are stronger for AS pts, type D personality being linked with deficits in all SF36 subscales, including PCS and MCS. Furthermore, negative affectivity (NA, type D subcomponent) independently influences PF, RP, BP, SF and PCS in AS negatively. Type D is also related with more active disease forms for both RA and AS, not only regarding the total scores in DAS28 and BASDAI, but also with some subcomponents and with other disease activity indicators not included in standard scores, like patient global assessment (PGA), ESR and CRP for AS pts. NA and SI correlate independently with higher DAS28 and BASDAI as well. The same pattern was identified for type C pts. All HRQoL subscales are affected in AS pts, whereas for RA pts, only 7/12 correlations were significant (SF, VT, MH, RP, RE, PCS, MCS). Both RA and AS type C pts have more active disease forms. In the RA group, type A personality did not significantly correlate with HRQoL, but it did positively influence pain visual analog scale (VAS) scores. In AS pts, however, this personality type was found to be linked with better HRQoL (greater VT, better PF, lower RP and RE, overall better PCS and GH) and with less active disease types (lower BASDAI scores, PGA and pain VAS).

Conclusion: Type C and D personality types were found to be strongly correlated with decreased HRQoL and with higher disease activity levels in both RA and AS pts, whereas type A appeared to be linked with less active disease forms in AS pts and with less pain in RA pts. A longitudinal study should be done to establish the causality of these associations, as personality types might be one of the parameters influencing clinical outcomes.

Disclosure: T. Donisan, None; M. Dobrin, None; D. Predeteanu, None; V. C. Bojinca, None; M. Bojinca, None; D. V. Balanescu, None; L. Grosanu, None; F. Berghea, None; C. Constantinescu, None; D. Opris, None; A. Borangiu, None; R. Ionescu, None; A. R. Balanescu, None.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Donisan T, Dobrin M, Predeteanu D, Bojinca VC, Bojinca M, Balanescu DV, Grosanu L, Berghea F, Constantinescu C, Opris D, Borangiu A, Ionescu R, Balanescu AR. Correlations Between Personality Types, Disease Activity and Quality of Life in As and RA Patients [abstract]. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2015; 67 (suppl 10). https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/correlations-between-personality-types-disease-activity-and-quality-of-life-in-as-and-ra-patients/. Accessed .

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