CONGENTIAL HEART DISEASES: ALEXITHYMIA AND PERSONALITY FEATURES

  • I.V. Drozdova State Institution “The Ukrainian State Research Institute of Medical and Social Problems of Disability of Ministry of Health of Ukraine”
  • M.V. Demchenko State Institution “The Ukrainian State Research Institute of Medical and Social Problems of Disability of Ministry of Health of Ukraine”
Keywords: alexithymia, personality, congenital heart diseases, operative correction, rehabilitation

Abstract

Alexithymia is a psychological complex of symptoms, showing up on mental, highly emotional and behavior levels and designating «absence of words for voicing feel». Aim of the work – to study long-term personality and alexithymia features of patients with congenital heart diseases (CHD) following operative correction. Material and methods. Toronto Alexithymia Scale and methodology of multilateral research of personality were used in the research. Results and discussion. Main personality features of CHD patients with alexithymia type were the increase in the levels of hypochondria,  hysteria,  paranoia, schizoid behavior, introversion, and the decline in depression, courageousness-femininity, psychasthenia,  and hypomania as well. In non-alexithymia type of personality there was an increase in hypochondria, hysteria, courageousness-femininity, hypomania, and decline in depression, psychasthenia, schizoid behavior, introversion. Conclusions. Statistically significant differences were the levels of depression, psychasthenia, introversion, that must be taken into account in the elaboration of individual rehabilitation program for this category of patients.

Published
2015-08-04
Issue
No. 3(43) (2013): Journal of the Grodno State Medical University
Section
ORIGINAL STUDIES