Type D Personality Scale

What it measures

Measures Type D (Distressed) Personality — the combination of high Negative Affectivity (experiencing negative emotions across situations) and high Social Inhibition (inhibiting self-expression in social interactions). Type D is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, poorer treatment response, and reduced quality of life.

Response format

Likert (0–4, false to true)

Representative items

• I often make a fuss about unimportant things. (Negative Affectivity)
• I often feel unhappy. (Negative Affectivity)
• I am often irritated. (Negative Affectivity)
• I find it hard to start a conversation. (Social Inhibition)
• I am a closed kind of person. (Social Inhibition)

Usage notes & scoring

Type D = scores >=10 on BOTH Negative Affectivity AND Social Inhibition subscales simultaneously. Freely available from Johan Denollet. The two subscale scores must be analysed separately before applying the Type D classification. Widely used in cardiac and oncology research.

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Denollet, J. (2005). DS14: Standard assessment of negative affectivity, social inhibition, and Type D personality. Psychosomatic Medicine, 67(1), 89–97.

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