title: [Emotional distress in elderly people with heart disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the emotional distress associated with ageing, and its prevalence among elderly people who suffer from heart disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  Personal interviews with elderly people with and without heart problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviews were conducted in public hospitals and old people's homes in the south of Galicia, Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample was made up of 130 elderly people (65 with heart problems and 65 without).
  
  
  METHODS
  The Inventory of Coping Strategies, of Halroyd and Reynolk (1984); Scheir, Caver, and Bridges Test (1984); the Life Satisfaction Scale of Diener, Emmuns, Larsen, and Griffen (1985); Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (1965); and an instrument to measure Associated Symptoms (SCL-90; Derogatis, 1975).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Elderly people with heart problems experienced greater anxiety and had lower self-esteem than those without such problems. Heart patients also tended to suffer more phobic anxiety and to retreat from social interaction more. With the passing of time, heart patients over 60 showed more anxiety, irritability and psychosomatic disorders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study clearly shows the existence of emotional distress in elderly heart patients. This makes it particularly important to conduct risk-prevention programmes, since a lot of heart disease is brought on by unhealthy conduct.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Campus de Ourense, Universidad de Vigo, Vigo, España.
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martínez Santamaría
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lameiras Fernández
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González Lorenzo
authors.forename: Yolanda
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Castro
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological