Cardiac rehabilitation is the sum of psychological, physical and social treatments that are offered to cardiac patients to maintain or regain an active position in society. This study wants to evaluate changes in the perception of the illness and in the self-efficacy of the management of positive and negative emotions in patients who went through cardiac rehabilitation. Sixty-seven patients (20 females, 47 males) were selected within the cardiac rehabilitation unit in the Hospital of Cittadella (Italy). Illness Perception Questionnaire - revised version and the Scale for the self-efficacy of the management of positive and negative emotions were submitted at the beginning and at the end of the rehabilitation program. One-way analyses-of-variance were performed to evaluate different answers in questionnaires between pre- and post-evaluation, and to explore gender differences. A significant change was found in the perception of duration of illness, perceived as permanent and longer after the cardiac rehabilitation program. Furthermore, at the end of the cardiac rehabilitation program men perceived the illness more chronic than women, even if they are less worried and anxious. Intensive cardiac rehabilitation has a great emotional impact on cardiac patients, influencing their perception and management of the illness. Working on emotions, through psychological groups, helps patients change their beliefs by offering them a different perspective to approach the illness.

Comprendere i fattori che influenzano la riabilitazione dei pazienti dopo un evento coronarico acuto è importante per ridurre il rischio di complicanze o il verificarsi di nuovi episodi. Il percorso riabilitativo successivo all'evento acuto è influenzato da fattori fisiologici e psicologici; tra questi, l'ansia è implicata sianell'esordio della malattia che nel percorso di guarigione. La letteratura fornisce risultati contrastanti rispetto al ruolo giocato dall'ansia nelle malattie cardiache. Sono necessarie quindi ulteriori indagini per comprendere se sia un fattore di rischio o un fattore protettivo. L'obiettivo di questo studio è quello di determinare come cambiano i livelli di ansia in pazienti che hanno aderito a un programma di Riabilitazione Cardiologica in relazione alla consapevolezza sulla propria condizione di salute. La ricerca si propone in particolare di studiare il cambiamento dei due fattori dall'inizio del programma riabilitativo (pre-test) e alla sua conclusione (post-test). I risultati delle analisi statistiche mostrano che i pazienti al post-test risultano più ansiosi e stressati rispetto al pre-test ma anche più consapevoli rispetto alla durata della malattia. Questi risultati suggeriscono che il fattore ansia dopo il percorso riabilitativo può essere considerato generativo alla luce di un effettivo aumento della consapevolezza della malattia.

Many psychological factors influence the onset and prognosis of heart disease, among the most studied, there are personality traits, depressive and anxious experiences. Type D personality, characterized by high levels of social inhibition and negative affectivity, is associated with unfavourable prognosis for cardiac patients. Depressive and anxious symptoms influence the onset of cardiac disorders, the management of the disease and their impact on quality of life. Aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of cardiac rehabilitation on social inhibition, negative affectivity, anxious and depressive symptoms in cardiac patients. Patients were recruited at the Rehabilitation Cardiology Unit of Cittadella Hospital, after an acute cardiac event, they were enrolled to attend a cardiac rehabilitation program. Patients were administered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and the Type D Scale (DS-14). Results showed significant differences between the preand post-test evaluation: a decrease in the Negative Affectivity subscale (DS-14) and in the Anxiety subscale and emotional distress (HADS). Other differences