[The distressed personality (type D)--correlations with anger, aggression and hostility].

Abstract

Type D (distressed personality) comprises the joint tendency to experience negative emotions (negative affectivity) and to inhibit these emotions in social situations (social inhibition). The distressed personality can be assessed by the Type D scale (DS14). In the present study, the German version of the DS14 was to be validated especially with regard to its interrelation with anger, aggression and hostility. The study included a clinical sample of 90 patients with coronary heart disease and a nonclinical sample of 86 participants. The two-factor structure of the DS14 could be confirmed in both samples. As expected, the subscale negative affectivity correlates highly with neuroticism; the subscale social inhibition correlates highly with extraversion. Negative affectivity also relates to almost every anger and aggression scale applied in this study. Participants classified as Type D report higher anger experience than non-Type D-classified persons. They show both heightened anger-in and anger-out and encounter others with more cynicism and hostility. It seems promising to provide special psychological treatment for these patients.