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Review
. 2022 Sep 26;19(19):12162.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph191912162.

Personality, Preoperative Anxiety, and Postoperative Outcomes: A Review

Wentao Ji  1 , Chao Sang  2 , Xiaoting Zhang  1 , Keming Zhu  1 , Lulong Bo  1
Affiliations
Review

Personality, Preoperative Anxiety, and Postoperative Outcomes: A Review

Wentao Ji et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Research has shown that personality is associated with anxiety levels in the general population. However, little is known about the relationship between personality and preoperative anxiety and the subsequent health outcomes in patients undergoing surgery. Therefore, this review aimed to identify studies that explored the relationship between personality traits and preoperative anxiety, as well as their association with postoperative outcomes. Existing literature shows that anxiety may play an intermediary role in the relationship between personality and postoperative outcomes. Severe anxiety may partially explain the adverse effects of certain personality traits, such as neuroticism, on postoperative outcomes. However, the relationship between personality traits, preoperative anxiety, and postoperative outcomes remains unclear. Interventions such as clinical evaluation, preoperative counseling, and management strategies can be of great value in identifying and resolving patients' anxiety and negative emotions to improve postoperative outcomes.

Keywords: anesthesia; personality; postoperative outcome; preoperative anxiety.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Personality types A, B, C, and D and their relationships with health outcomes. CHD: coronary heart disease.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The mechanism underlying the relationships between personality traits, preoperative anxiety, and postoperative outcomes. The Big Five framework was used to describe personality.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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Grants and funding

The 234 Climbing the Discipline Program of the first affiliated hospital of the Naval Medical University (2020YXK053 to L.B.).