Psychological diagnosis in primary glaucoma: analysis of the types of attitudes of gerontological patients to the disease

    Abstract

    Psychological diagnosis in primary glaucoma: analysis of the types of attitudes of gerontological patients to the disease

    S.I. Makogon, A.L. Onishchenko, A.S. Makogon

    The Altai State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Russia, Barnaul
The Novokuznetsk State Medical Advanced Training Institute – the Branch of the Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Education of the Health Ministry of Russia, Novokuznetsk
The Altai Regional Ophthalmological Hospital, Barnaul

    Purpose. To study the type of relationship to the disease in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma of different age groups.

    Material and methods. The study involved 312 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma of the stages I –IV who were treated at the Regional Ophthalmological Hospital. The patients were divided into 3 groups: the group 1 had 104 patients of middle age (45–59 years old), of them: 44 male (42.3%) and 60 female (57.7%), the group 2 – 110 elderly people (60–74 years) of them: 46 male (41.8%) and 64 female (58.2%), the group 3 – 98 elderly patients (75 years and older) – 36 male (36.7%) and 62 female (63.3%). For a psychological diagnosis of types of attitude towards the disease, the «TOBOL» method was used.

    Results. Among the middle-aged patients, a harmonious and ergopathic type of attitude to the disease prevailed (21.95% and 20.14%, respectively) as well as a moderately pronounced sensitive type (11.23%). Among the elderly patients, a significant decrease was noted in indicators of a harmonious type of attitude to the disease, compared with the middle-aged patients (average indicators on a scale of harmony: 21.95±0.69 vs. 12.65±0.66; p≤0.05). Both males and females of advanced age were characterized by a high degree manifestation of anxious, hypochondriac, sensitive tendencies, with moderately pronounced neurasthenic and melancholic tendencies. Among the patients of senile age, a decrease in the harmonious type of attitude to the disease, a severity of hypochondriac and neurasthenic tendencies were also detected compared with the middle-aged patients.

    Conclusion. A comparative analysis of the types of attitude to the disease in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma of different age groups showed significant differences between individuals of the elderly and senile age compared with middle-aged people.

    Key words: type of attitude to the disease, primary open-angle glaucoma.