Long COVID-19 Enigma: Unmasking the Role of Distinctive Personality Profiles as Risk Factors, 2024, Amsterdam et al.

[SNT Gatchaman]

Long COVID-19 Enigma: Unmasking the Role of Distinctive Personality Profiles as Risk Factors
Amsterdam, Dana; Kupershmidt, Aviv; Avinir, Asia; Matalon, Ron; Ohana, Ofir; Feder, Omri; Shtrozberg, Shai; Choshen, Guy; Ablin, Jacob Nadav; Elkana, Odelia

BACKGROUND
The COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has prompted extensive research into lingering effects, especially in ‘Long COVID’ patients. Despite exploration, contributing factors remain elusive;

OBJECTIVES
This study explores the potential link between distinctive personality profiles, particularly type D personality, and an increased risk of Long COVID;

METHODS
A retrospective cross-sectional study at Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center’s Post-COVID clinic analyzed data from 373 Long COVID patients through comprehensive questionnaires covering Long COVID syndrome, Fibromyalgia criteria, personality assessments, social support, and subjective evaluations of cognitive decline, health and life quality. In total, 116 out of 373 patients completed the questionnaire, yielding a 31% participation rate;

RESULTS
Cluster analysis revealed two groups, with Cluster 1 (N = 58) exhibiting Type D personality traits while Cluster 2 (N = 56) not meeting criteria for Type D personality. In comparison to Cluster 2, Cluster 1 patients reported heightened anxiety, depression, reduced social support, increased pain symptoms, manifestations of fibromyalgia, cognitive decline, and poor sleep quality, contributing to a diminished quality-of-life perception;

CONCLUSIONS
Findings highlight diverse personality profiles among Long COVID patients, emphasizing the need for tailored care. This approach shows potential for improving Long COVID patient care, aligning with the evolving personalized medicine paradigm.

Link | PDF (Journal of Clinical Medicine) [Open Access]

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

Notably, previous research has identified the so-called “type D personality” (“D” for distressed) as a risk factor for various physical outcomes, including prevalent conditions such as ischemic heart disease (IHD).

A study conducted by Ablin et al. investigated personality types, using questionnaires, in patients with FM or CFS compared to controls, revealing significant differences in psychological variables between the two groups. FM/CFS patients showed a less adaptive pattern with a high prevalence of Type D personality.

Our hypothesis posits that distinct patterns of coping mechanisms or traits could characterize individuals with Long COVID or render them more susceptible to the syndrome.

All 750 individuals undergoing follow-up at the Long COVID clinic were diagnosed with Long COVID syndrome based on current clinical guidelines. All individuals were approached for participation via telephone call. In total, 373 were successfully contacted and were sent the study questionnaires via text message. Furthermore, 116 individuals completed the entire research questionnaire, reflecting a 31% completion rate.

None of the patients reported experiencing mental health issues, nor did they have previous psychiatric diagnoses. Moreover, 46 participants (40.3%) reported subjective limited function in daily activities (such as climbing stairs and attending household chores).

The study population was recruited from the Post COVID-19 clinic at Sourasky Medical Center after being diagnosed with Long COVID syndrome, based on prevailing definitions at the time. Consequently, there was no control group of individuals who contracted COVID-19 and did not develop Long COVID. Thus, the prevalence of Type D personality in healthy individuals post-COVID was not measured and relied on the general population prevalence, marked at 20%. Our data are cross-sectional and self-reported, making them susceptible to personal perceptual bias, as well as cultural and language bias. While the current study identified two distinct personality profiles within the Long COVID patient population, it is crucial to acknowledge that these profiles may not be strictly dichotomous. Instead, they may exist on a continuum, allowing patients to exhibit various degrees of alignment with either profile.

The clear clustering of patients into two almost equal groups, with a much higher rate of Type D personality diagnosis prevalence than in the general population, emphasizes the association between certain personality traits, such as Type D personality, and developing Long COVID. Furthermore, Long COVID patients with Type D personality showed a greater disease burden with lower quality of sleep, lower perception of quality of life, positivity, and social support. These results support and augment similar findings from previous studies, demonstrating that Type D individuals possess negative traits associated with increased risk for mental and physical disorders.

 

[SNT Gatchaman]

This exploration aims to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the differences between these groups, potentially laying the groundwork for developing personalized and optimal treatments for individuals impacted by Long COVID to alleviate individual suffering and reduce the societal and economic burden of Long COVID syndrome.

Yeah, well no optimal treatments are going to be developed if you waste everyone's time with this psycho-bollocks.

 

[Yann04]

Thanfully it’s published in MDPI which means it won’t be taken too seriously. Because this study frankly just feels insulting.

 

[Ebb Tide]

So people who are more ill, with less social support, who had no mental health issues/ psychiatric diagnosis prior to covid, show up as more distressed after becoming ill, so we'll stick a personality dysfunction label on them.

 

[Sean]

So people who are more ill, with less social support, who had no mental health issues/ psychiatric diagnosis prior to covid, show up as more distressed after becoming ill, so we'll stick a personality dysfunction label on them.

It's pathetic, isn't it.

Just doesn't make any difference what the actual results are, somehow they always get spun into psycho-causation.

 

[Turtle]

Yeah, well no optimal treatments are going to be developed if you waste everyone's time with this psycho-bollocks.

33 years and counting because doctors (happily) let "researchers" like this take over ME/CFS and now LC. Without control or correction.

 

[rvallee]

Ah, yes, the scam equation:

0 = 0 = effective = give us more money​

It's literally a coin toss and they could get similar results using astrological signs or Meyers-Briggs profiles, but as always, their conclusion is give us more money. There is no validity to personality profiles, they're as much random noise as Dungeons & Dragons character sheets.

An entire field of pseudoscience where results are completely irrelevant, all that matters is that it keeps looping.

Findings highlight diverse personality profiles among Long COVID patients, emphasizing the need for tailored care. This approach shows potential for improving Long COVID patient care, aligning with the evolving personalized medicine paradigm.

And all completely indistinguishable from a joke in a cartoon sitcom about not bothering to do homework and just winging it.

And obviously, this is not at all what personalized medicine is. It has nothing whatsoever to do with personality types from some random junk questionnaire cooked up decades ago and using overlapping questions as some sort of gotcha that makes as much sense as telling someone they're a goat because they have 4 limbs and a face and so do goats. Good grief this is pathetic.

 

[NelliePledge]

They should just go off into a corner and spend their time analysing the personality profiles of psychosomatic proponents

 

[Joan Crawford]

Yeah, well no optimal treatments are going to be developed if you waste everyone's time with this psycho-bollocks.

This 100%

 

[Joan Crawford]

"FM/CFS patients showed a less adaptive pattern with a high prevalence of Type D personality."

Debilitated and sick people score higher levels of distress in questionnaire shocker. Who knew?

"Our hypothesis posits that distinct patterns of coping mechanisms or traits could characterize individuals with Long COVID or render them more susceptible to the syndrome."

No need to spend oodles of time and brain effort on a hypothesis. Simply ask the people. Simples Positing hypotheses can go twaddle off

Seriously, makes as much sense to study like this as the patients star sign....... Absolute garbage

 

[Joan Crawford]

Ah, yes, the scam equation:

0 = 0 = effective = give us more money​

It's literally a coin toss and they could get similar results using astrological signs or Meyers-Briggs profiles, but as always, their conclusion is give us more money. There is no validity to personality profiles, they're as much random noise as Dungeons & Dragons character sheets.

An entire field of pseudoscience where results are completely irrelevant, all that matters is that it keeps looping.

And all completely indistinguishable from a joke in a cartoon sitcom about not bothering to do homework and just winging it.

And obviously, this is not at all what personalized medicine is. It has nothing whatsoever to do with personality types from some random junk questionnaire cooked up decades ago and using overlapping questions as some sort of gotcha that makes as much sense as telling someone they're a goat because they have 4 limbs and a face and so do goats. Good grief this is pathetic.

Bravo well said