Understanding personality styles of women in Phase II and III Rheumatoid Arthritis clinical trials

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: The purpose of the current study was to explore personality styles that may influence someone with a chronic illness to participate in a Phase II or III clinical drug trial related to that specific illness. Forty-four female patients diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis who were enrolled in a pharmaceutical drug trial (CT-Participants) and thirty-eight female patients diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis who were not enrolled in a drug trial (NCTParticipants) were asked to complete a demographic questionnaire and the Millon Index of Personality Styles-Revised (MIPS-R). The MIPS-R was used to measure the presence of personality traits identified as contributing factors to participation in Phase I trials including: openness to new experiences, low anxiety, extroversion, and independence. The demographic questionnaire assessed age, race/ethnicity, annual household income, level of education, and access to healthcare, Medicaid, and Medicare.

Findings and Conclusions: Demographically the two groups were statistically matched on age, level of education, annual household income, and access to Medicaid/Medicare. The two groups differed significantly on access to health insurance. There was a significant difference between the two groups on the Conservation-Seeking scale indicating a tendency for the NCT-Participant group to exhibit more traditional and conservative behaviors, and thus less open to new experiences. The CT-Participants and NCT-Participants matched on all other scales including Introversion/Extroversion, Submissive/Yielding, InnovationSeeking, and Anxious/Hesitating, Confident/Asserting, and Dominant/Controlling scales, indicating those who participate in clinical drug trials share personality traits commonly associated with Rheumatoid Arthritis.