Behavioral Factors, Stressful Life Changes and Depression in Heart Patients: Infarction Study Some Results from the South-Limburg Life History and Myocardial

Publisher Summary This chapter presents results from the South Limburg life history and myocardial infarction (MI) study focusing on behavioral factors, stressful life changes, and depression in heart patients. The exposure to 51 life changes (LC) in three developmental domains—that is, (1) childhood, youth, and adolescence, (2) work and career, and (3) family and social life, as well as the psychological perceptions, coping strategies, and social support with respect to each reported event, are assessed by means of a structured interview scheme, the life history and coping strategies interview. The results from the study discussed suggest that there exists a synergistic interaction pattern between the type A coronary-prone behavior pattern, the occurrence, and ambivalent evaluation of LC over the life course, and the prodrome of vital exhaustion and depression. This synergistic interaction pattern that could result in dysfunctional behavior as such may considerably enhance the risk for the development of premature MI because it already has been demonstrated that the former constellations are associated, independently from each other, with the onset of MI, and other manifestation of CHD.