Self‐reported somatic symptoms in type A and type B middle‐aged males

The type A behaviour pattern has been documented as an independent risk factor for the incidence of coronary heart disease. Previous research with myocardial infarction patients suggests that denial of symptoms is associated with type A characteristics, and laboratory research has demonstrated that when faced with challenging tasks, healthy type A students report fewer psychological symptoms than type B students. This pattern of reduced symptom awareness or reporting could lead to life‐threatening consequences if type A individuals experience coronary heart disease symptoms and fail to seek appropriate and immediate medical care. The present study was designed to examine the relative frequency of symptom reporting in 154 middle‐aged type A and type B working males who had not reported a positive coronary heart disease medical history. Results indicate that type A men reported significantly fewer cardiovascular symptoms. These findings are discussed in terms of their relevance to understanding the symptom‐reporting pattern in the context of the daily characteristics of the general work environment.