Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 May 1;14(5):382.
doi: 10.3390/bs14050382.

The Influence of Personality Type D and Coping Strategies on Cognitive Functioning in Students

Alexey N Sumin  1 , Ingrid Yu Prokashko  2 , Anna V Shcheglova  1
Affiliations

The Influence of Personality Type D and Coping Strategies on Cognitive Functioning in Students

Alexey N Sumin et al. Behav Sci (Basel). .

Abstract

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.

Keywords: cognitive function; coping strategies; medical students; type D personality.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparative analysis of dominant coping strategies for medical students with presence/absence of personality type D (according to the CSI questionnaire). * p = 0.02 between group with/without type D.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Deasy C., Coughlan B., Pironom J., Jourdan D., Mannix-McNamara P. Psychological distress and coping amongst higher education students: A mixed method enquiry. PLoS ONE. 2014;9:e115193. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115193. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rotenstein L.S., Ramos M.A., Torre M., Segal J.B., Peluso M.J., Guille C., Sen S., Mata D.A. Prevalence of Depression, Depressive Symptoms, and Suicidal Ideation Among Medical Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA. 2016;316:2214–2236. doi: 10.1001/jama.2016.17324. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lee E., Kim Y., Lee H. Associations of eating alone with type D personality, depression and rejection sensitivity among South Korean university students. Perspect. Psychiatr. Care. 2020;56:256–262. doi: 10.1111/ppc.12420. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Brooks S.K., Gerada C., Chalder T. The specific needs of doctors with mental health problems: Qualitative analysis of doctor-patients’ experiences with the Practitioner Health Programme. J. Ment. Health. 2017;26:161–166. doi: 10.1080/09638237.2016.1244712. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hill M.R., Goicochea S., Merlo L.J. In their own words: Stressors facing medical students in the millennial generation. Med. Educ. Online. 2018;23:1530558. doi: 10.1080/10872981.2018.1530558. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Grants and funding

The study was supported by the Russian Federation, specifically the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, under the Agreement for providing grant funding in the form of subsidies from the federal budget, dated 30 September 2022, No. 075-15-2022-1202. The study is a part of a comprehensive scientific and technological program of the full innovation cycle, entitled “Development and implementation of technologies in the fields of solid mineral exploration and extraction, industrial safety, bioremediation, and the creation of new products through deep coal processing, all with a gradual reduction of environmental impact and risks to the population’s well-being”. This initiative was established by the Russian Government’s decree No. 1144-r on 11 May 2022.

LinkOut - more resources