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Relations between Life Satisfaction, Adjustment to Illness, and Emotional Distress in a Sample of Men with Ischemic Cardiopathy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

María Ángeles Ruiz ,
Pilar Sanjuan ,
Ana M. Pérez-García  and
Beatriz Rueda
María Ángeles Ruiz*
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (Spain)
Pilar Sanjuan
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (Spain)
Ana M. Pérez-García
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (Spain)
Beatriz Rueda
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Mª Ángeles Ruiz Fernández. 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). E-mail: mruiz@psi.uned.es
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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 well-being 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.

Cincuenta y dos varones que acababan de sufrir algún episodio de cardiopatía isquémica por primera vez informaron del grado de satisfacción con su vida, las estrategias empleadas para ajustarse a la enfermedad y los síntomas de ansiedad y depresión que sentían. Los análisis de regresión múltiple realizados mostraron que el malestar emocional se asociaba con una menor satisfacción vital; y en el caso de la ansiedad, se añadía una tendencia a utilizar en mayor medida estrategias negativas de ajuste. Finalmente, se obtuvo una interacción significativa satisfacción vital x tipo de ajuste a la enfermedad, indicando que los pacientes más satisfechos utilizaban más el ajuste adaptativo que los menos satisfechos, y tendían a utilizar menos que estos últimos el ajuste negativo. Puede concluirse que la satisfacción predice el bienestar emocional de los pacientes con cardiopatía isquémica, facilitando la puesta en marcha de estrategias más adecuadas ante la enfermedad. Además se sugiere la posibilidad de que el nivel de satisfacción pueda variar con el tiempo a medida que la enfermedad limite metas importantes para el individuo.

Keywords

life satisfactionadjustment strategiescopingemotional distresscardiovascular diseasesatisfacción vitalestrategias de ajusteafrontamientomalestar emocionaltrastornos cardiovasculares
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , May 2011 , pp. 356 - 365
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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