The association of personality trait on treatment outcomes in patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome: an exploratory study.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the association of personality traits with the baseline clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS).

METHODS: Subjects were evaluated at baseline and at week 12 following routine treatment for CP/CPPS using the Korean version of the National Institutes of Health Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) to measure the severity of CP/CPPS; the Korean version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess depression; the Korean version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) to evaluate somatization; and the Korean version of the EuroQol Questionnaire-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), specifically the EQ-5D utility index and the EQ-5D visual analog scale (EQ-5D VAS), to assess quality of life (QoL). Personality traits including extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness were determined at baseline using the 44-item Big Five Inventory (BFI). The influence of personality traits on the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with CP/CPPS was assessed using relevant statistical analyses.

RESULTS: Neuroticism was associated with a significantly poorer treatment response and higher levels of depression and somatization. Extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness had some influence on clinical characteristics but openness did not affect overall symptoms or the treatment response in patients with CP/CPPS.

CONCLUSIONS: We found that neuroticism may be the most important personality trait associated with treatment response and the severity of depression and somatization in patients with CP/CPPS. However, our exploratory findings should be confirmed by additional studies with adequate power and improved designs.