The relationship of perceived social support and locus of control subscales with illness perception in myocardial infarction patients, using Structural Equation Modeling

Abstract

Background: Psychological factors are important both as predisposing to and precipitating coronary artery diseases (CAD). These factors can also be a consequence of CAD, which may create a vicious circle. This paper presents a study on myocardial infarction (MI) patients, considering the relationship between perceived locus of control, social support and illness perception. Materials and Methods: 241 consecutive MI patients from Isfahan, Iran, participated in this study in 2016-17. Comprehensive questionnaires along with a medical interview were used to collect demographic and cardiological data during the first week of hospitalization. 3 to 4 months later information concerning perceived social support, perceived locus of control, and illness perception was collected at participants' houses. The data were analyzed by structural equation modeling to verify the interrelationships between the investigated variables. Results: The mean age of participants (83 of males) was 54.53 +/- 9.76 years. The participants with better illness perception regarding MI may have had better perceived social support and/or may had less chance locus of control and were more prone to be diagnosed as Diabetic. A positive correlation was found between powerful others locus of control and chance locus of control. Discussion: Our findings indicate a significant relationship between illness perception, perceived social support and perceived locus of control in MI patients. Conclusion: This study findings provide an overview of some of the psychological factors in MI patients. Consideration of these important factors could help physicians to provide better post MI care