Dynamics of the emotional state of patients with atherosclerosis of lower limb arteries undergoing surgical treatment

Dmitrieva A.A., Dubinina E.A.

Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychological Care, Psychological and Pedagogical Faculty, Russian State Pedagogical University named after A.I. Herzen, St. Petersburg, Russia

Objective. The study was aimed at determining the dynamics of the emotional state and factors influencing thereupon in patients presenting with atherosclerosis of lower limb arteries and undergoing surgical treatment.

Materials and methods. The study included a total of sixty-five 36-to-90-year-old patients (53 men and 12 women) subjected to examination twice – prior to surgery and before discharge by means of semi-structured interview, self-assessment scale of feeling and mood, methods "Integrative test of anxiety" and "Type of attitude towards the disease" (TOBOL), questionnaire for assessing health-related quality of life SF-36 and Krantz questionnaire in order to determine the position in the therapeutic process.

Results. After surgery (on postoperative day 7-10 of hospital stay) the patients demonstrated a decrease in the degree of anxiety and somatic complaints. Women (p=0.037), patients with the duration of the disease from 1 to 8 years (p=0.033), with signs of personality anxiety (p≤0.045), disadaptive variants of attitude to disease and treatment (p≤0.05), as well as clearly manifesting mistrust for medical recommendations (p=0.014) belong to a group of risk of emotional stress at the postoperative stage.

Conclusion. Clinical and socio-demographic determinants are comparatively less important in formation of pronounced anxiety of postoperative period than the patient’s personality.

KEY WORDS: atherosclerosis of lower limb arteries, surgical treatment, psychological state, anxiety, personality.

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