Long-term mental health of women after a first acute myocardial infarction.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the long-term psychologic well-being and psychologic distress, after a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI), of women with those of men and those of a normative community sample of women and to examine the relation of sociodemographic, medical, and psychologic variables to the long-term psychologic well-being and psychologic distress of women.


METHODS
Longitudinal study.


METHODS
Eight medical centers in central Israel.


METHODS
Sixty-two women (age range, 30-65y) with documented first AMI.


METHODS
Sociodemographic, medical, and psychologic data were collected before hospital discharge (T1). Psychologic well-being and psychologic distress were assessed 5 years after AMI (T2) with the Mental Health Inventory.


METHODS
Hierarchical regression was used to examine the relations among the outcome variables, psychologic well-being, and psychologic distress at T2 and the predictors, sociodemographic, medical, and psychologic variables at T1.


RESULTS
Women had less long-term psychologic well-being and more psychologic distress after AMI than did men or the normative sample of women. Depression and concomitant medical problems were related to women's psychologic well-being; depression alone was related to their long-term psychologic distress.


CONCLUSIONS
Women with an AMI are more likely than men to have reduced psychologic well-being and increased psychologic distress. In addition, diminished mental health was related to medical and psychologic pathogenic factors.
Cardiac Rehabilitation Institute, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
Yaacov
Y
Drory
Shlomo
S
Kravetz
Gilad
G
Hirschberger
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors