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World J Psychiatry. Oct 19, 2026; 16(10): 117272
Published online Oct 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.117272
Published online Oct 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.117272
Personality traits and preoperative anxiety: Interpreting individual differences in pain perception
Ming-Da Wang, National Center for Health Professions Education Development, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
Ming-Da Wang, Graduate School of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Ming-Da Wang, Faculty of Education, National University of Malaysia, Selangor 43600, Malaysia
Author contributions: Wang MD contributed to this paper and was involved in interpretation and writing the article.
AI contribution statement: AI-assisted tools (e.g., ChatGPT) were used solely for language polishing and editing. The content, structure, and scientific arguments of the manuscript were developed by the authors. No part of the manuscript was fully generated by AI. AI tools were not involved in study design, data analysis, or interpretation of results. No figures or images were generated using AI.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author reports no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Ming-Da Wang, PhD, Researcher, Faculty of Education, National University of Malaysia, Jalan Bangi, Selangor 43600, Malaysia. p121299@siswa.ukm.edu.my
Received: December 3, 2025
Revised: December 17, 2025
Accepted: January 30, 2026
Published online: October 19, 2026
Processing time: 311 Days and 13.6 Hours
Revised: December 17, 2025
Accepted: January 30, 2026
Published online: October 19, 2026
Processing time: 311 Days and 13.6 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Preoperative anxiety is not simply a situational response to the surgery. It reflects stable differences in how patients process threat, regulate emotion and monitor bodily signals. This review proposes a trait-based framework to explain the differences in anxiety and pain across patients. It suggests psychological calibration as a means to customise communication and intervention to the individual patient profile. This view promotes more individualised screening and perioperative care.