The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was originally developed to facilitate better working relationships between health care professionals, particularly nurses. It is based on Carl Jung's theory of "individual preference," which suggests that seemingly random variation in human behavior is actually attributable to fundamental individual differences in mental and emotional functioning. The indicator uses a series of questions to identify an individual's preferences in four different categories: energy, perceiving, judging, and orientation, resulting in a total of sixteen personality types.

While the MBTI was not designed for clinical use, it has been applied in psychology and psychiatry to understand specific patient populations such as those suffering from suicidality and unipolar depression. In both populations, there are greater tendencies towards introversion energy and perception orientation compared to the normative population. The potential correlations between MBTI types and affective disorder vulnerability are being explored, and with more confirmatory samples, it may prove useful in identifying vulnerable patients.

One of the most significant applications of the MBTI is in fostering communication between health care professionals and patients. It is important to consider the possible communication differences between the provider and the patient, as these differences can affect patients' interpretations of their provider encounters. Research suggests that there are significant differences in MBTI types between doctors and the general adult population, which can lead to communication barriers.

To remedy these differences, the MBTI typology can be applied in communication skills training for health care professionals. Formal and structured approaches to instructing professionalism and communication have demonstrated greater effectiveness than passive observational learning. Improved patient-physician communication has correlations with better health outcomes as well as reduced legal action, making it critical to address communication barriers in healthcare.