The Relationship between Illness Perception, Personality Variables, and Adherence among the Patients with Myocardial Infarction

Previous studies has proved that psychological factors could affect treatment adherence, in spite of this, the role of illness perception in treatment adherence is unclear. Current study was conducted in order to investigate the relations between personality characters and treatment adherence and also the role of the illness perception as mediating factor between these two.

In this cross-sectional correlation study, 87 in-patients with acute myocardial infarction, who was admitted to cardiology wards in hospitals in Isfahan City, Iran, were enrolled into this study using consecutive selection method. Questionnaire of demographics information and brief-illness perception, NEO five-factor inventory and general and specific treatment adherence were completed for the study group, and was analyzed using path analysis.

Analysis of data path showed a significant relation between conscientiousness (r = 0.263), neuroticism (r = -0.214), extraversion (r = 0.245), and openness to experience (r = 0.167) with general treatment adherence, as well as the extraversion (r = 0.309) with specific treatment adherence. Moreover, with considering the mediating role of illness perception, it showed that extraversion had strong and meaningful relation with general (r = 0.154) and specific (r = 0.139) treatment adherence.

It seems that illness perception as mediating factor could affect the relation of personality characters and treatment adherence in patients with acute myocardial infarction. So in psychological interventions, a special attention should be given to strengthen and reform of illness perception that could improve compliance among the patients.