title: Neuroticism, depression and anxiety in takotsubo cardiomyopathy.
abstract: Takotsubo cardiomypathy (TTC) causes acute reversible heart failure. Prior studies have indicated that the syndrome is associated with traits such as social inhibition, chronic psychological stress, and anxio-depressive disorders. The objective of this study was to further characterize key psychological/psychopathological traits of patients with TTC.
  
  
  
  A survey of three groups was conducted: I) Female post-recovery TTC patients admitted between October 1(st) 2009 and December 10(th) 2014, II) Age, gender and geographically matched ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients, and III) Age, gender and geographically matched individuals from the background population. The following questionnaires were used in the survey: the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, Eysenck's Neuroticism Scale, the Major Depression Inventory, and the anxiety subscale of Symptoms Checklist (SCL-90).
  
  
  
  In total, 173 of 230 invitees (75 %) participated in the study. In comparison to the background controls, TTC patients reported significantly less well-being, more neuroticism, more depression, and more anxiety. The levels of well-being, depression and neuroticism were comparable between TTC and STEMI patients, but the level of anxiety was higher in the TTC patients. There was a negative correlation between the time since TTC admission and the total scores on the psychopathology rating scales.
  
  
  
  Patients with TTC reported significantly higher anxiety levels compared to both STEMI patients and background controls. However, unlike the STEMI patients, the TTC patients appeared to improve psychologically during the post-recovery phase. This may be a consolation for TTC patients in acute psychological distress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. thomas.emil.christensen@regionh.dk.|Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET and Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. thomas.emil.christensen@regionh.dk.
authors.forename: Thomas Emil
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lia E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Bang
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lene
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Holmvang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET and Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hasbak
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET and Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet and University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kjær
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Research Unit, Psychiatric Center North Zealand, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark.
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bech
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark.|Department P - Research, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark.
authors.forename: Søren Dinesen
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Østergaard
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D057189:Checklist; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D000075384:Neuroticism; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000072657:ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D054549:Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Neuroticism; Takotsubo cardiomyopathy; Well-being