COPING STYLE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION PATIENT'S WIVES

Abstract

An acute miocardial infarction (MIA), represents a significan! stressor to both patients and families and particulary in the female spouses. The aim of this research is analizing the methods or coping styles and its effectivity, the wivws of patients undergoing an acute infarction are using in relation with some demographic, sociocultural, psychological and physiological factors. In a sample of 37 spouses of patients with cardiac infarction, the relationships among personality factors, age,
education, social support, and others, with the different coping methods or styles and its effectity were investigated. Findings indicated that palliative and fatalistic coping methods were most used; although the most effective coping styles were the optimistic, confrontive and supporting, as well. Statistically significant results were found among younger wives and the tendency over supporting coping styles (p<0.03); as for the older wives, the tendency most used is the fatalistic style (p<0.03); the use of confrontive style is more likely to be observed in couples with few years of marriage (p< 0.04). In both cases, the effectivity of this style, is not statistically significant. The optimistic style use in wives holding jobs out of home turned out to be significant (p<0.05). The social functional support perceived by the patients' wives tend over the optimistic styles (p<0.01); significant relationships were found between the religious practice and supportin coping style (p<0.02); whereas on the other hand, the more thé anxiety levels of the wife, the more the use of supporting coping style (p< 0.02) with no significance over the effectivity (pc0.ll). It is very important to identify the different coping styles the wives of the patients with MIA exhibit, in order to design an intervention with the couple and wife wich will permit a better adaptation for the couple in the infarction situation. Further qualitative studies over this problem, are recommended.