Relationship between Type D Personality and Anhedonia: A Dimensional Study of University Students

Type D personality-characterized by negative affectivity and social inhibition-and anhedonia have independently been found to be significantly associated with depression or suicidal ideation in the general population or in psychiatric subjects. The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between Type D personality and anhedonia in a population of 204 university students (102 men, 102 women) after controlling for depression as a confounding variable. Type D personality was evaluated using the Type D scale, anhedonia with the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale, and depression with the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Significant correlations were found between social inhibition and anhedonia before and after adjustment for depression. In women, a Sobel test indicated significant mediation by social inhibition of the relationship between anhedonia and depression. Results suggested that the social inhibition component of Type D personality could constitute a poor prognosis factor.