[A psychological profile of subjects from industrial sectors with cardiovascular diseases interviewed via the H. J. Eysenck questionnaire].

Abstract

Authors in the literature are unanimous in considering type A personality as an individual characteristic susceptible to cardiovascular risk. The latter, in its turn, is regarded, after H. J. Eysenck [4], as an association of the scores of extroversion and neurosis. Starting from this assumption, we set out to outline a profile of the cardiovascular patient using the "Eysenck" questionnaire. The study population included 126 industrial workers compared to a matching control set. The resulting profile displayed neurotic components within an ego perpetually frustrated in its needs of well-being, emotional satisfaction and rewarding social relations (-1,dark blue, Lüscher colour test in its shortened variant). Stress and introversion foster neuroticism and encourage the ego in its compulsive quest for autonomy, "eccentric" behaviour in actual situations and egocentric attitudes in reserve. Findings suggest that the "H. J. Eysenck" test for introversion-extroversion and neuroticism, as well as the Lüscher colour test (the shortened variant) are likely to be useful predictive tools in cardiovascular disease.