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Cognitive, emotional and psychosomatic complaints and their relation to emotional status and personality following cardiac surgery
Author(s) -
Vingerhoets Guy
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
british journal of health psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 2044-8287
pISSN - 1359-107X
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8287.1998.tb00564.x
Subject(s) - neuroticism , anxiety , beck anxiety inventory , beck depression inventory , psychology , depression (economics) , clinical psychology , personality , cognition , psychiatry , eysenck personality questionnaire , big five personality traits , extraversion and introversion , social psychology , economics , macroeconomics
Objectives . The study investigated the prevalence of cognitive, emotional, and psychosomatic complaints after uncomplicated cardiac surgery. In addition, we evaluated the relation between non‐cardiac complaints and emotional status and personality. Design & Methods . Five to 12 months after elective bypass grafting 123 patients completed the Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory, the NEO Five‐Factor Inventory, and a subjective complaints questionnaire. A correlational design was employed to explore the relationships of these variables. Results . Factor analyses of the complaints questionnaire revealed four cognitive and four emotional/psychosomatic dimensions. Seventy‐three per cent of the patients reported cognitive complaints, particularly problems with sustained and divided attention. Seventy‐eight per cent reported emotional or psychosomatic complaints, especially increased anxiety and emotional instability. Post‐operative complaints were significantly correlated with anxiety and depression, and with neuroticism. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that the occurrence of most subjective complaints was best predicted by self‐reported depression and anxiety. Self‐reported depression, anxiety and neuroticism contributed differently to different dimensions of subjective complaints. Conclusions . Subjective post‐operative cognitive and emotional difficulties are very common after uncomplicated cardiac surgery. Self‐reported anxiety and depression are significantly associated with the occurrence of persistent subjective complaints. Although neuroticism also significantly contributes to the perceived post‐operative changes, most subjective complaints are best predicted by self‐reported depression and anxiety.