Relationship Between Type D Personality Subscales, Coping Strategies, Illness Perception, and Fatigue in Myocardial Infarction Patients Using Structural Equation Modeling, in Isfahan, Iran 2016 - 17

Psychological factors play an important role as predisposing precipitating factors for coronary heart disease (CHD). Coping strategies, type D personality, illness perception (IP), and fatigue are among major psychological factors in myocardial infarction (MI) patients.

The study aimed to investigate relationships between coping strategies, type D personality subscales, illness perception, and fatigue in MI patients.

In this cross-sectional study, we collected the demographic and clinical information of 241 consecutive MI patients (mean age: 54.53±9.76 years) in the first week of hospitalization. After four months, we used questionnaires to collect information on type D personality subscales, coping strategies, illness perception, and fatigue at patients’ houses. To verify relationships between the variables, the collected data were analyzed by structural equation modeling.

The participants with more positive illness perception regarding MI were less likely to be fatigued and/or less probably used emotion coping. Patients who experienced fatigue as a symptom after MI were probably inhibited socially. Social inhibition, negative affectivity, and emotion coping were seen more in women than in men and younger participants used task coping strategy more than older ones.

Improving psychological factors such as illness perception, coping strategies, and type D personality may promote the health condition of patients in the post-MI period although these factors may influence the process of MI prevention.