Personality traits and preoperative anxiety: Interpreting individual differences in pain perception

Table 1 Personality-informed perioperative intervention strategies

Personality trait	Core processing tendency	Typical presentation	Recommended communication strategy
Low emotional stability (high neuroticism)	High threat sensitivity and negative cognitive bias (e.g., catastrophizing)	Elevated anxiety, risk amplification, negative interpretation	Emphasize safety and controllability, reduce uncertainty, provide guided cognitive support
High conscientiousness	High vigilance and information monitoring	Strong focus on details, repeated attention to procedures and bodily changes	Provide structured, step-by-step information, clarify procedures and expectations
High emotional stability	Adaptive emotional regulation and balanced appraisal	Lower anxiety, stable coping	Provide standard communication and routine explanation