the quality of relationship, stress and coping strategy in patients with coronary heart disease

the purpose of this study was to investigate the association of stress, coping strategies and quality of relationship as independent variables with coronary heart diseases. 75 subjects (25 acute coronary inpatients, 25 chronic coronary inpatients, and 25 normal men) in three groups-who were matched for age, sex, education, income, marital status, occupation, and residential ownership, were selected for the study. the following instruments were used in this study: chief life events inventory (clei), coping responses inventory (cri), and uqality of relationship inventory (qri). analysis of data using anova indicated that in the face of stressful life events, acute coronary patients experienced higher levels of distress than the normal group (p<0.05). moreover, their coping responses were more focused on emotional inhibitory reactions (p<0.05). this group also reported more conflict in their inter-personal relationships (p<0.05). in regard to independent variables, chronic coronary patients in comparison to the normal group had similar status to acute inpatients (p<0.01) but there was no significant difference between the two cardiac groups. thus, it is concluded that distress, emotional responses to stress, and interpersonal conflicts paly determining roles in developing and intensifying coronary heart diseases.