Type D personality and self-esteem in patients with fibromyalgia: a cross-sectional case–control study

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex disease related to several factors. Psychosocial elements, such as type D personality and low level of self-esteem, might increase disease burden. The current study aimed to investigate type D personality and self-esteem in patients with FM. Female patients with FM and age-matched, healthy controls were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Type D personality was evaluated using the type D scale (DS-14). The Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES) was used to assess self-esteem and psychosomatic symptoms. Type D personality was observed in 58.6% of the patients ( n = 70) and in 21.7% of the controls ( n = 60) ( p < 0.001). When compared to patients with non-type D personality, those with type D personality revealed lower self-esteem and poorer health status ( p < 0.05 for both), and higher anxiety and depression scores (p < 0.001 for both). In binary logistic regression analysis, the odds of FM were 3.6 times higher (OR = 3.653, 95% CI 1.547–8.625) for patients with type D personality, after adjusting for age and education level. In addition, depression (OR= 1.178, Cl 95% 1.055 − 1.316) and lower education level (OR= 0.818, Cl 95% 0.682 − 0.982) were significantly related to type D personality in FM. Type D personality is closely associated with FM. Type D personality is more common in female patients with FM when compared to healthy women. Depression and lower education level are potential confounders of type D personality in FM.