Occupational stress and its consequences in healthcare professionals: the role of type D personality.

OBJECTIVES The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of Type D personality in perceiving stress at work and the development of adverse effects of experienced stress, i.e. mental health disorders and burnout syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS A sample of 79 healthcare professionals (51 psychiatrists and 28 nurses) of a mental hospital in Lódź was eligible for the study. The mean age of the subjects was 39.71 (SD = 8.02) and their work experience was 11.20 (SD = 5.45). The DS-14 self-report to measure Type D personality, the Subjective Work Evaluation Questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were used in the study. RESULTS The results of the study confirm a significant role of Type D personality in perceiving job stress and the development of its adverse effects reflected especially in the worsening health condition. Type D subjects perceive their workplace as more stressful than non-Type Ds and manifest more symptoms of mental health disorders and a higher level of burnout, expressed mainly in the form of emotional exhaustion and lower personal accomplishment. CONCLUSION Modification of Type D personality aimed at reducing tendency to experience negative emotions and enhancing skills to express them combined with improving social relations is desired to prevent healthcare professionals from adverse health outcomes.