Abstract
A myocardial infarction can result in disrupting the entire family system and requires reorganization and adaptation in order to ensure the proper functioning of marriage. Study is aiming to compare functioning of marital dyad before and after myocardial infarction from perspective of patient’s spouse. Furthermore, the study takes into account gender differences in the assessment of the dyad relationships. The respondents (60 spouses of patients - 17 men, 43 women) assessed the functioning of the marital dyad using the Family Assessment Questionnaire (modified by Cierpka). The first group of respondents was tested in the period immediately after a heart attack, and the spouses assessed the period of functioning before the onset of a heart attack. The second group was tested during the period of over one year after a heart attack. The results in both groups show a satisfactory level of marital relationships. Spouses in the second group assessed the overall marital functioning worse, as well as functioning in four dimensions, as compared with the assessment made by the respondents in the first group. Gender differences were also reported. Conclusion: From spouse’s perspective marital dyad functioning after myocardial infarction is worse than before that. One of the reasons for such situation could be near death experience of the spouse and necessity for reorganization of family life. Family context is very important for recovery after myocardial infarction and it seems to be sensible to include patient’s spouse to psychotherapeutic work. Furthermore, marital relations were more negatively assessed by women
Highlights
Coronary heart disease, including myocardial infarction, is a major threat to health and a lead-tasks of the spouse in this context include providing emotional, instrumental and information support [5]
The results in both groups show a satisfactory level of marital relationship
The overall result (OR) as well as the results in emotionality (E), affective involvement (AI), control (C) and the values and norms (VN) of spouses of patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction are significantly lower than the results obtained by spouses of patients with past myocardial infarction
Summary
Tasks of the spouse in this context include providing emotional, instrumental and information support [5]. Studies have shown that patients’ spouses react more negatively to myocardial infarction than patients themselves [12]. Men whose spouse had a fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction evinced relatively higher risk of depression than women [8]. Other studies on the relationship between gender and depressiveness of spouses of patients with coronary artery disease indicated that women experience greater emotional tension [13,14]. In the assessment of changes in the level of depression in the spouses of patients within 2 years of myocardial infarction it was found that the depression intensified, despite its low level and strong social support in the first measurement [10]. It was found that younger wives (less than 55 years old) manifest more emotional and somatic symptoms than older wives (more than 55 years old) [16]
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