title: Relations between life satisfaction, adjustment to illness, and emotional distress in a sample of men with ischemic cardiopathy.
abstract: Fifty-two men who had suffered a first episode ischemic heart disease reported their degree of life satisfaction, the strategies they used to adjust to the illness, and the symptoms of anxiety and depression they felt. The multiple regression analyses carried out indicated that emotional distress was associated with a lower level of life satisfaction. In the analyses of anxiety symptoms, the use of negative adjustment strategies was also a significant predictor. Lastly, a significant Life Satisfaction x Type of Adjustment interaction was obtained. According to this, the patients who felt more satisfaction with their lives used more positive strategies to adjust to the illness and fewer negative ones, than the group of patients who were less satisfied. In conclusion, life satisfaction predicts emotional wellbeing of patients with ischemic heart disease and it enhances the implementation of appropriate strategies to cope with the disease. Moreover, although life satisfaction has been considered a stable measure, we suggest it may change as the experience of illness limits individuals' important goals.
authors.affiliation: Dpto. Psicología de la Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológicos, Facultad de Psicología, UNED, Apartado 60.148, C/ Juan del Rosal 10, Ciudad Universidad, 28040 Madrid, Spain. mruiz@psi.uned.es
authors.forename: María Angeles
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sanjuan
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pérez-García
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rueda
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012803:Sick Role; D012944:Social Support