Study of the relationship between coping strategies, personality variables and perception of disease in patients with myocardial infarction

Psychological variables have an important effect in adaptation and quality of life in cardiovascular patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the mediatory role of coping styles in relation between personality types and illness perception in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
In this cross-sectional study, 87 in-patients with acute myocardial infarction who was admitted to CCU were enrolled into this study by consecutive selection. uestionnaires of demographics information and Brief-illness perception (B-IP ), NEO five-factor inventory (NEO-FFI) and coping inventory for stressful situations (WOC ) have completed for the study group and was analyzed by multiple regression and Pearson correlation.
Analysis of data path showed a meaningful and significant relation between neuroticism and emotion-oriented coping style(r=0.539) and conscientiousness and task-oriented coping style (r=0.329). Results represented a relation between neuroticism and illness perception(r 480) in direct path. Analysis with mediating effect of coping methods showed a relation between of openness to experience and illness perception(r=0.084).
The findings of current study indicated that coping methods as mediating variables could alter the relation of personality types and illness perception. So in psychological interventions a special attention should be given to strengthen and reform of coping methods that could improve the quality of life of patients.