Marital relations of patients with myocardial infarction from the spouses' perspective

A myocardial infarction can result in disrupting the entire family system and requires reorganization and adaptation in order to ensure proper functioning of a marriage. Aims: The study aimed to compare functioning of the marital dyad before and after myocardial infarction from the perspective of the patient’s spouse. Gender differences are taken into account in the assessment of the relationship dyad. Materials and method: Respondents (60 spouses: 17 men, 43 women) assessed the functioning of the marital dyad using the Family Assessment Questionnaire (modified by Cierpka). The first group of respondents (N=30) was tested in the period immediately after a heart attack, and the spouses ssessed functioning in the period before the heart attack. The second group (N=30) was tested over 1 year after a heart attack. Results: The results in both groups show a satisfactory level of marital relationship. Spouses in the second group assessed the overall marital functioning and functioning in four dimensions as worse compared with respondents in the first group. Gender differences were also reported. Conclusion: From the spouses’ perspective the functioning of the marital dyad after a myocardial infarction was worse than before the illness. One of the reasons could be the near death experience of the patient and a necessity to adapt the family life to the new situation. Family context is very important for recovery after a myocardial infarction and it seems sensible to include the patient’s spouse in psychotherapeutic work. Marital relations were more negatively assessed by women