From Clinical Perception to Implicit Bias: Understanding Personality Traits in Lymphoma Patients

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Some haematologists share the perception that patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) behave and manifest emotional expressions in a characteristic way. Previous research suggested a unique personality profile in HL patients compared to the general population. This study aimed to analyse and compare the personality traits of HL and NHL patients to identify potential differences. Methods: In this cross-sectional, descriptive, multicentre and replicative study, we included patients with HL and NHL from the Spanish Group of Lymphoma (GELTAMO). Personality traits and other psychosocial variables were compared between these two groups and the reference population. We used a semi-structured interview to collect demographic and psychosocial variables, and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory to assess personality traits. Results: Our findings indicate that HL and NHL patients share similar personality profiles, suggesting that the perceived differences do not stem from personality factors. Significant differences were only observed in age (HL > NHL; age: p = 0.003). These results led us to propose a new explanatory hypothesis centred on ageism. Conclusions: Our results confirm that the personality profiles of patients with any type of lymphoma are consistent with each other and with those found in the broader cancer patient population, indicating that differences observed by clinicians might be due to perceptual biases. Age, as a differentiating factor between these patient groups, suggests ageism as a potential underlying cause of these biases. Further research is required to explore the clinical implications of such stereotypical perceptions among patients that could ultimately lead to issues with patient-provider relationships and patient safety.