Objective: Personality type D may be associated with a predisposition to develop stress under external adverse influences, for example, in the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, type D personality is associated with higher burnout levels; thus, it may contribute to the development of diseases symptoms. The current study was designed to examine the coping strategies in young healthy persons with personality type D. Methods: The study included 98 medical students, with 30 being males. The participants completed questionnaires to identify personality type D (DS-14) and the coping strategies. Depending on the results of the DS-14 questionnaire, four subgroups were distinguished with different levels of points on the NA and SI subscales. Results: For persons with type D personality, the escape–avoidance strategy was used more often, the accepting responsibility and self-controlling strategies were less common compared with non-type-D individuals. When type D was adjusted for the NA and SI subscales, the correlation remained only with escape–avoidance strategy. We did not find a synergistic effect of the NA and SI subscales in regard to coping. Conclusions: This study demonstrated a link between personality type D and maladaptive coping strategies. The predominance of the maladaptive coping strategy in type D is a possible point of application for psychosocial training in such individuals that requires further research.

Persons with personality type D are characterized by an “unhealthy lifestyle”, which is manifested by low physical activity, less healthy eating behavior, and failure to comply with doctors’ recommendations. Persons with personality type D have an inadequate response of hemodynamic parameters to psychoemotional stress; the response of other parameters has not been sufficiently studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of personality type D with various psychophysiological parameters of the body during mental stress in healthy individuals. Material and Methods: The study involved 79 students of Kemerovo State Medical University aged 18 to 32 years (mean age 20.7 ± 2.4 years). Psychophysiological diagnostics was carried out using the BOSLAB complex; electromyogram, electrocardiogram, body temperature, respiration, galvanic skin response, and photoplethysmogram data were recorded. The stress testing protocol included cognitive tasks and recovery phases. Additionally, the presence of personality type D in students was assessed using the DS-14 questionnaire. The results of stress tests were compared in groups with the presence/absence of type D. Results: The frequency of detection of type D was high (54.4%). When examining the response of psychophysiological parameters, the most pronounced response to stress tests with mental load was noted for heart rate variability and respiratory system parameters. Individuals with type D personality showed more pronounced sympathetic activation in response to mental stress and a slower recovery at rest. Among the studied parameters, association with personality type D was noted for the following indicators during the mental arithmetic test: heart rate (p = 0.022), the Baevsky strain index (p = 0.004), respiratory rate (p = 0.020), and an indicator of regulatory process adequacy (p < 0.001). Conclusion: In the present study, we found differences in the reaction of psychophysiological parameters to mental stress in healthy individuals depending on the presence or absence of personality type D. These data can be useful for developing stress resistance programs and biofeedback training. The possibility of using the above psychophysiological parameters in biofeedback training programs for individuals with personality type D requires further research.

Introduction: Academic and emotional challenges faced by medical students can affect their psychological well-being and health. Personal characteristics may also predispose one to the manifestation of distress reactions. Individuals with type D personality have an increased tendency to develop depressive reactions and somatic diseases, including the presence of cognitive dysfunction. In students, the presence of cognitive dysfunction may additionally adversely affect academic and psycho-emotional problems. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of type D personality and coping strategies on cognitive functioning in medical students. Methods: A cross-sectional study included 258 medical students (age 19 ± 1.2 years, 79 men). All participants completed psychological questionnaires (DS-14 to identify type D personality, and The Coping Strategy Indication, CSI—to determine coping strategies), as well as extensive neuropsychological testing of cognitive functions. Results: Among the medical students examined, the frequency of identification of type D personality was 44%. In persons with personality type D, according to psychometric testing, a decrease in the level of functional mobility of nervous processes (FMNP) was noted, which was manifested in an increase in the test completion time (p < 0.001) and an increase in the number of errors (p < 0.001) during the FMNP test, and an increase in the test completion time in the attention concentration test. In addition, in type D participants, an increase in the test execution time during the attention test was noted (p = 0.007). Personality type D was an independent risk factor for cognitive decline in students in multiple linear regression analysis, when type D was analyzed as a dichotomous construct. Conclusions: Assessing personal characteristics and identifying personality type D is advisable for medical students, to develop subsequent programs to increase their resistance to academic challenges, improve cognitive function, and also to prepare for future stress loads during professional activities in the field of healthcare.

Objective — To study the choice of coping strategies and coping intensity in healthy individuals with type D personality. Material and methods — The study included 98 students of Kemerovo State Medical University (KemSMU), 68 women and 30 men (their mean age was 19.1±2.0 years). All subjects filled out psychological questionnaires to identify type D personality (DS-14) and the choice of coping strategies (Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) and Coping Strategy Indicator (CSI)). Results — The participants were divided into a group with type D personality (n=44) and without it (n=54). Individuals with type D personality had higher scores on the Escape-Avoidance (p<0.001), Accepting Responsibility (p=0.009) and Distancing (p=0.05) scales of the WSQ questionnaire, and Avoidance strategy scale of the CSI questionnaire (p=0.007). Students with type D personality were characterized by a pronounced preference for the Escape-Avoidance strategy (p=0.000018). An increase of 1 point in the values on the Escape-Avoidance scale improved the chance of identifying type D personality by 1.15 times (p<0.001). An increase in scores on the Positive Reappraisal scale reduced the likelihood of identifying type D personality (OR 0.98; p=0.005). The Escape-Avoidance coping strategy was rather strongly associated with type D personality (AUC=0.779). Conclusion — In healthy young people with type D personality, inadequate coping strategies were notably prevalent: the Escape-Avoidance strategy identified by WCQ, and the Avoidance strategy marked by the CSI. The Escape-Avoidance strategy was independently associated with type D personality, and the Positive Reappraisal strategy was associated with the non-D type.

Objective. To assess the association of personality type D with stress reactivity and autonomic balance among medical students, depending on gender and nationality. Design and methods. The study included 188 healthy students aged 18 to 23 years (median 18,0 ± 1,0 years), Russian speakers and residents of India. To determine the type of personality D used questionnaire DS-14. All examined were divided into two groups: with the presence of personality type D (n = 67) and without personality type D (n = 121). Additionally, groups of male students with type D (n = 24) and without type D (n = 63) and female students with type D (n = 43) and without type D (n = 58) were identified. We evaluated the psychophysical stress test “Mathematical Account” and indicators of variational pulsometry at rest. Results. When examining medical students, personality type D was detected in 27,5 % girls and 42,6 % boys (p = 0,03). When analyzing ethnic differences among Indian students, type D was detected in 42,6 % cases, among Russian-speaking students in 32,8 % (p = 0,21). Among the examined, there was no effect of type D on the test with an oral count, in the whole cohort, as well as in boys and girls. Logistic regression analysis in young men showed a pronounced relationship between Indian nationality and the presence of personality type D (p < 0,001). Conclusions. The influence of multidirectional factors (gender, nationality) can offset the influence of personality type D on the studied psychophysiological mechanisms and determine the heterogeneity of the influence of personality type D on the course of the disease in the general cohort.

Highlights The study results revealed gender differences in reactions to psycho-emotional stress in young healthy people, showing that women had higher levels of muscle tension, while men had higher levels of skin conduction. This highlights the importance of taking gender differences into account when assessing stress reactivity and developing stress resilience programs. The data obtained can be used to create an optimal battery of physiological parameters for assessing the dynamics of stress tolerance and developing biofeedback programs for stress management. AbstractAim. To study gender-specific reactions to psycho-emotional stress in young healthy individuals, emphasizing the physiological parameters of the cardiovascular system.Methods. The study included 47 students of Kemerovo State Medical University aged 18 to 32 years. The participants were divided into male (n = 14) and female (n = 33) groups. Psychophysiological diagnostics was performed using the BOSLAB complex: an electromyogram, an electrocardiogram, body temperature, respiration, a galvanic skin reaction and a photoplethysmogram were obtained. The stress testing protocol included cognitive tasks and rest phases.Results. When exposed to stress tests, there was a statistically significant increase in heart rate (HR) and a shortening of the R-R intervals (p < 0.001), as well as an increase in the duration of the respiratory cycle (p = 0.029) and a decrease in the frequency of the respiratory mode (p < 0.001). Gender differences were manifested in higher levels of muscle tension in women (p < 0.001) and higher skin conduction in men (p = 0.033).Conclusion. In young healthy individuals, mental stress causes activation of the sympathoadrenal system, which manifests itself in changes in heart rate and respiratory parameters. Gender differences in stress responses are expressed in differences in muscle tension and skin conduction. This data can be useful for the development of stress tolerance and stress training programs.