Social Class and Disease Behavior in Neurotic and Coronary Patients

This study aimed to identify disease behavior patterns in the studied neurotic and coronary patients and to study the relationship between social class and disease behavior dimensions in them. Therefore, the number of 119 coronary patients and 91 neurotic patients in Tehran were selected and examined according to available sample. The data were collected by survey method, structured interview technique and questionnaire tool and analyzed in SPSS software. The comparison of disease behavior patterns in two groups of patients showed that they adopted neither the same pattern nor a completely different pattern. The quantity and quality of the interpretative-perceptive ability of the patients showed that both coronary and neurotic patients adopted an active perceptual pattern. This active perceptual pattern led the patients to adopt an active coping approach, so that both groups of patients used more problem-oriented strategies. The study of the relationship between social class and disease behavior dimensions also showed that in coronary patients, the dimensions of problem-oriented strategy and disease perception, and in neurotic patients, the dimension of disease perception showed a significant relationship with social class. In general, it should be said that social class can explain the dimensions and behavior patterns of the disease.