[Psychological factors associated in smoking cessation in patients with arterial occlusive disease of the legs].
Few studies have focused on psychological factors involved in the course of peripheral atherosclerosis, particularly in smoking cessation, which is a major point in the outcome of the disease. In this view, we assessed in 19 men hospitalised for intermittent claudication, some personality and emotional characteristics associated with the patients' recent smoking behaviour. Patients included tend to have high scores of state-anxiety and alexithymia (with difficulty to identify and express their emotions), and to benefit from an efficient social support made of few persons. Concerning the smoking behaviour from the past six months, only 8 subjects stopped smoking and 13 subjects made an effort in this way, despite relatively low nicotine dependence scores, severe peripheral atherosclerosis with frequent erection disorders, and awareness of the importance to stop smoking to improve the outcome. Presence of erection disorders, and eventually higher alexithymia scores, may facilitate the smoking cessation. The main reasons explaining the difficulty to stop smoking don't seem to be pharmacologically induced, neither a denegation of the bad effects of smoking on outcome, but more surely a psychological and complex dependence. It would be essential to assess more precisely the psychological characteristics of the patient to propose more efficient treatment.
Limosin
F
F
Service de Psychiatrie, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire Louis Mourier, 178, rue des Renouillers, F 92701 Colombes.
Consoli
S M
SM
Fiessinger
J N
JN
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D000368:Aged; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D018783:Impotence, Vasculogenic / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D007511:Ischemia / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D012803:Sick Role; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*
Facteurs psychologiques associés à l'effort de sevrage tabagique chez des patients souffrant d'une artériopathie oblitérante des membres inférieurs.