AB1224-HPR Type of Personality – a New Item to Take into Account When Evaluating Quality of Life and Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) Patients

BackgroundIn RA pts, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessment is important, but there is little research regarding the relation between the type of personality and the individual differences in HRQoL1. Optimism and the tendency to hold greater positive outcome expectancies have been found to be related with better psychological well-being in RA pts, while negative affectivity (components of type C and D personality) are reported to show lower health satisfaction scores2.ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to investigate the association of different types of personality with aspects of HRQoL and disease activity in RA pts.MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 104 RA pts from two different Rheumatology Departments (7.7% men, 92.3% women, mean age 59.08, mean duration of disease 12.77 years). Personality type was assessed with Jenkins Activity Survey for type A/B, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory Anger-in Scale (AIS) for type C and Type D Personality Scale (DS14), with its components (negative affect-NA and social inhibition-SI) for type D. HRQoL was quantified using the Medical Outcome Study Short-Term-36 (SF36v2) and its subscales (Physical function-PF, Social function-SF, Role physical-RP, Role emotional-RE, Mental health-MH, Vitality-VT, Bodily Pain-BP, Global Health-GH, physical component scores-PCS and mental component scores-MCS). Disease activity was evaluated with Disease Activity Score (DAS28) and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain.ResultsType C pts correlate with decreases in HRQoL in 7 of its 8 subscales when compared to non-C personality pts (RP M=15±28.56/M=3.14±38, VT M=32.57±2.23/M=44.63±22.68, RE M=27.62±39.18/M=49.99±44.05, MH M=39.54±25.88/M=62.64±22.44, MCS M=36.98±13.33/M=46.52±12.36; p