Purpose: The study aimed to examine the association between type D personality trait and sleep quality in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with and without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and to explore the mediating effects of anxiety and depression symptoms.
Method: A cross-sectional study was performed in 879 CAD patients attending cardiac rehabilitation program (mean age 57.8 years; SD = 9.0; 75% men). Participants underwent full-night polysomnography and were classified in OSA (n = 349) and no OSA (n = 530) groups. Patients were evaluated for type D personality, subjective sleep quality (Pittsburgh sleep quality index), and symptoms of anxiety and depression (hospital anxiety and depression scale).
Results: Patients with type D personality reported poorer subjective sleep quality than non-type D patients irrespective of the presence of OSA. Type D and negative affectivity (NA) were associated with worse subjective sleep quality in patients with OSA and without OSA. The mediational analysis revealed that type D and NA were indirectly associated with Pittsburgh sleep quality index through anxiety and depression symptoms in no OSA and OSA patients.
Conclusion: In CAD patients, type D personality and NA are associated with worse subjective sleep quality and this association is mediated by depression and anxiety symptoms irrespective of OSA presence.
Keywords: Anxiety; Coronary artery disease; Depression; Obstructive sleep apnea; Subjective sleep quality; Type D personality.