Alexithymia in personal characteristics of patients with coronary heart diseases
Grekova, T.I.; Provotorov, V.M.; Kravchenko, A.I.; Budnevskií, A.V.
Klinicheskaia Meditsina 75(11): 32-34
1997
ISSN/ISBN: 0023-2149 PMID: 9490353 Document Number: 472897
Psychological status was assessed in 120 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) according to MMPI, Toronto alexithymic scale. Alexithymia was diagnosed in 49.1% of the examinees. They were characterized by difficulties in definition of their feelings, absence of dreams and fantasies, introversion, inclination to depressive response to stress, hypochondria eventuating in senesthopathy. The above psychological and pathopsychological traits in CHD patients require psychotherapeutic and chemotherapeutic correction in order to enhance efficacy of the treatment.