Evaluation of the Perception of Illness and Quality of Life in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to evaluate the illness perception and quality of life of patients who had an acute myocardial infarction.

METHODS
This descriptive and correlational study included 301 patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction at the cardiology outpatient clinic of a hospital. The data were collected using Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised and Myocardial Infarction Dimensional Assessment Scale.

RESULTS
The mean age of the patients was 59.04 ± 5.56 years and 51% were female. The evaluation of subdimension mean scores according to the scores of the patients from the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised showed that the highest mean score was obtained from the consequences subscale under the Illness Representation dimension whereas the lowest mean score was from the illness coherence subscale. The overall Myocardial Infarction Dimensional Assessment Scale score (49.43 ± 11.40) of the patients was observed to be moderate. The Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised subdimensions were observed to have a positive and significant correlation with Myocardial Infarction Dimensional Assessment Scale total score and subscales mean scores. According to the regression analysis results, treatment control, illness coherence, and emotional representations subscales under the Illness Representation dimension and immunity subscale under the Causal Representation dimension were observed to predict the quality of life, and patients obtaining higher scores from these dimensions had higher quality of life. On the other hand, the consequences subscale under Illness Representation dimension and psychological attributions under Causal Representation dimension were found to be factors decreasing the quality of life.

CONCLUSION
This study showed that patients thought some of the symptoms were related to their illness, the level of comprehension of the disease is low, and their quality of life was moderate. Patients should have a positive illness perception to have a higher quality of life.