Psychological functioning of adults with acute coronary syndrome in an emergency setting

Abstract

The Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) are clinical events that affect exclusively the heart and present high rates of morbidity and mortality, recognizing that the psychological functioning acts as a risk factor for these pathologies. They affect all age groups and can cause significant losses in quality of life, especially for individuals in productive age. Meanwhile, the research project "Psychological functioning of adults with Acute Coronary Syndrome in an emergency setting" seeks to examine indicators of psychological dynamics and personality characteristics of adult cardiac patients aged 30 to 59 years, hospitalized for ACS, given the significant incidence of these pathologies in this age group. Volunteers of both genders, with varied education, from the interior of the State of São Paulo (Brazil) will be examined, composing two groups: Clinical Group (G1, 100 patients diagnosed with ACS, hospitalized in a reference Emergency Unit) and Comparison Group (G2, 100 individuals from the community without heart disease), submitted to the following instruments: Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20), Sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Beck Anxiety Inventory, Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire, DS14 Personality Scale, Brazilian Projective Test of Reaction to Frustration, Desiderative Questionnaire, Zulliger Test and Pfister's Color Pyramids Test. To date, 80 patients from G1 have been evaluated, 76% (n=61) being male, with a mean age of 48.77(±7.67) years and a mean of 8.62(±3.85) years of schooling. As for G2, the sample consisted of 63 participants, 46% male (n=29), with a mean age of 43.04 (±9.16) years and a mean of 13.36 (±4.68) years of schooling. The results were coded according to their respective technical manuals, systematizing them in computer spreadsheets for later statistical analysis, with the aim of describing and comparing the variables representative of psychological functioning and sociodemographic characteristics between the groups. It is expected to increase the understanding of psychological indicators and personality characteristics associated with ACS in adults in the age group considered productive and with the increase of its incidence nowadays, seeking to identify risk factors to be addressed in future prophylactic strategies in the population. (AU)