[Severe COPD and gender of patients versus the presence of profound psychological trauma].
The authors examined psychiatrically a group of 45 patients suffering from severe COPD. The special interest of the study was the careful analysis of the time, context and content of different psychological traumas that the patients had experienced throughout their lives.


METHODS
The authors examined 45 patients suffering from severe COPD (according to GOLD classification) during the present hospitalisation. There were 19 women (42%) and 26 men (58%). The average age was M = 64.56 years (SD = 10.64), and average duration of illness was M = 10.53 years (SD = 10.18). Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, Polish version 5.0.0, Panic and Agoraphobia Scale, Beck's Depression Inventory, Family Functioning Questionnaire (KOR), Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-29), Defence Style Questionnaire (DSQ-40) and Life Inventory were used.


RESULTS
Although the proportion of women in the group of 45 patients with severe COPD was 42%, they seem to be more prone to depression and panic than men. It may be due to specific trauma of suffering and/or death of an emotionally close person, which occurred in 64.4% of the study group. This trauma may have an impact on the intensity of anxious and depressive symptoms, catastrophic interpretation of bodily symptoms and also the sense of coherence of patients with COPD.


CONCLUSIONS
It is possible, that strictly psychological and psychiatric problems affect the course and severity of COPD in women.
Potoczek
Anna
A
Klinika Psychiatrii Dorosłych Katedry Psychiatrii CM UJ, Kraków.
Nizankowska-Mogilnicka
Ewa
E
Bochenek
Grazyna
G
Szczeklik
Andrzej
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors