Description of Heart Failure Patients' Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Profiles

Objective: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) identifies personality preference in 4 areas, but has not been studied in heart failure (HF) patients. Methods: The MBTI was completed by 98 HF inpatients. Results: Patients preferred Extroversion (N = 60) vs Introversion, Sensing (N = 70) vs Intuition, Feeling (N = 58) vs Thinking, and Judging (N = 66) vs Perceiving. Most common MBTI profiles were ESFJ (N = 18), ISFJ (N = 14), ISTJ (N = 12) and ESTJ (N = 12). For mental function temperament, HF patients preferred personal service and practical facts, and for leadership/learning style they preferred a traditionalist approach. One's MBTI profile did not correlate with readmission. Conclusions: This is the first study to report HF patient MBTI profiles. Further research is warranted to study use of the MBTI to personalize education for HF patients.