title: The personality and psychosomatic syndrome in patients with acquired valvular heart diseases.
abstract: Fifty patients (36 women and 14 men) aged 16-51 with valvular heart diseases qualified from surgical treatment were studied. For determination of personality traits the Self Knowledge Card by R. B. Cattell, The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory MMPI-WISKAD by Hathaway and McKinley and The Adjectives Test ACL by Gough and Heilbrun. Using these methods it was shown that patients with acquired valvular heart diseases had a much lower tolerance threshold for frustration and stressful situations and had a tendency for autoaggressive behaviour. Somatic symptoms in these patients cause a constant feeling of danger and anxiety and difficulties in adaptation to everyday life conditions with a tendency for self-effacement. Predominating needs were demonstrated in three sets: a) defense attitudes and strong self-control, b) needs connected with goal achievement and strivings, c) needs connected with normal relations with other people. A statistical comparison of the results obtained in patients with valvular heart diseases and in healthy controls showed very significant differences between them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Medical Academy, Lublin, Poland.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nasiłowska-Barud
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Markiewicz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005639:Frustration; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000209:etiology