Subjectivity, quality of life and emotional state of patients with coronary heart disease in psychological rehabilitation

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the most common diseases of the cardiovascular system and also is one of the leading causes of death. It is known that CHD is a multifactorial disease. Therefore, the study of the psychological characteristics of patients seems to be important for the development of remedial measures of comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation. Aim. The paper aims at examining the subjectivity rate, quality of life indicators and features of psycho-emotional state in elderly CHD patients who are waiting for coronary bypass surgery and after cardiac surgery. Materials and methods. Forty elderly CHD patients (20 males and 20 females) undergoing treatment at the Almazov National Medical Research Centre were examined and divided into two groups, namely patients awaiting coronary bypass surgery and those who have already undergone it. Clinical psychological and experimental psychological methods were used such as a structured interview, the Personal Subjectivity Development Level questionnaire, the 36 Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), Integrative Anxiety Test, the Beck Depression Inventory. Results. The research of the quality of life in elderly CHD patients showed low indicators of the scales related to physical health. Moreover, data of the postoperative period were significantly lower than in the group of patients awaiting coronary bypass surgery. Elderly patients after cardiac surgery were characterized by more pronounced anxiety-depressive symptoms. However, in both groups of CHD patients there was a tendency to a high development of all components of subjectivity without significant statistical differences. Conclusion. The practical application of research results will improve cardiac rehabilitation in elderly CHD patients and may also contribute to the selection of more effective methods of psychological correction in the rehabilitation of patients both in the preoperative period and after coronary bypass surgery.