Predictors of Outcome in Cardiac Disease: the Role of Personality and Illness Cognitions

.................................................................................. ii PUBLICATIONS ARISING FROM THIS THESIS.................................iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................ iv TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................... v LIST OF TABLES......................................................................... xiii LIST OF FIGURES........................................................................ xv INDEX OF ABBREVIATIONS......................................................... xvii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ‘CARDIAC DISEASE: PREVALENCE RATES AND MEDICAL RISK FACTORS’........................................... 1 1.0 Overview................................................................................... 1 1.1 Prevalence of coronary heart disease.................................................1 1.2 Established risk factors for coronary heart disease...............................2 1.3 The development of coronary heart disease........................................4 1.4 Treatment for MI........................................................................ 5 1.5 Recovery and quality of life following MI............................................6 1.6 Aims of the thesis......................................................................... 7 1.7 Thesis structure...........................................................................8 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW OF PSYCHOSOCIAL RISK FACTORS IN CORONARY HEART DISEASE.....................................11 2.1 Psychosocial risk factors in CHD....................................................11 2.1.1 Socio-economic status...............................................................11 2.1.2 Job strain.............................................................................. 13 2.1.3 Social Support........................................................................ 15 2.1.4 Depression............................................................................15 2.1.6 Anger and hostility................................................................... 16