Variations in the development of ischemic heart disease in women, viewed in relation to selected personality features

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to characterize some personality traits of women with ischemic heart disease, in order to (a) determine their relationship to activity and inactivity, and (b) define the implications of that relationship for ways of coping with coronary pain. The study comprised N = 100 women aged 33 to 80 years (M = 60:36; SD = 9:55), hospitalized in the Department of Cardiology, who underwent angiography for the assessment of coronary arteries. Psychological studies have been conducted using clinical interviews, involving the IPAT Anxiety Scale Questionnaire (R.B. Cattell), the Pain Coping Strategies Questionnaire (A.K. Rosenstiel & F.J. Keefe) and the NEO Five-Factor Personality Inventory (NEO-FFI; P.T. Costa & R.R. McCrae). The results obtained indicate that where a group of one hundred women with ischemic heart disease was concerned, their level of anxiety and fear stood at an almost neurotic level. In the structure of anxiety and fear one may observe the predominance of a strong tendency towards self-blame, experiencing feelings of guilt, and exhibiting high levels of internal tension. Among the personality traits in question, the following clearly dominated: extroversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness. The principal strategies for dealing with pain on the part of women with IHD were “prayer and hope”, “declarations of coping” and “diverting attention”. In women with ischemic heart disease, it would thus be advisable to employ psychotherapeutic strategies aimed at lowering the tendency towards selfdestructive (auto-aggressive) behaviour and reducing any elevated levels of internal tension. Psychotherapeutic activities conducted among women with IHD should focus on strengthening psychological resilience, and on working out ways to cope with the disease by undertaking tasks which give them a chance to enrich their own development.