Recent studies have shown that a Type D personality is associated with an increased risk of cardiac mortality. This study aimed to examine impact of a Type D personality on clinical and psychometric properties of patients with a first myocardial infarction (MI) in a Turkish sample.

The study included 131 patients who were admitted to the coronary care unit of a hospital with a first MI. All the patients underwent a psychiatric assessment within 2–6 months post-MI. Psychiatric interviews were conducted with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I).

The first study group (Type D personality) included 50 patients, and the second study group (non-Type D personality) included 81 patients. There was a 38.2% prevalence of the Type D personality in the patients with a first MI. Those with this type of personality had a significantly higher frequency of hypertension and stressful life events. The Type D patients also had more psychiatric disorders, depressive disorders, and anxiety disorders than the non-Type D patients.

Our findings suggest that Type D personality traits may increase the risk of hypertension and the risk of psychiatric morbidity in patients with a first MI. Considering that a Type D personality is a stable trait; we suggest that this type of personality is a facilitator of clinical depression and anxiety disorders. These findings emphasize the importance of screening for a Type D personality as a cardiovascular risk marker and a psychiatric risk marker in MI patients.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.