Does it matter what patients think? The relationship between changes in patients' beliefs about angina and their psychological and functional status.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to examine the association between changes in misconceived or maladaptive beliefs about angina and patients' functional and psychological status.

METHOD

The method used was a prospective follow-up study over 1 year of 133 people with angina.

RESULTS

Beliefs about angina were significantly associated with functional and psychological status. People with more misconceived or maladaptive beliefs were more anxious and physically limited than were people with fewer such beliefs, with differences in physical functioning that were clinically significant. Change in angina beliefs over 1 year was the most significant predictor for physical functioning at follow-up, after controlling for the effects of demographic variables and the outcome variable at baseline, whereas change in the frequency of angina did not contribute significantly to this model.

CONCLUSION

Misconceived and maladaptive beliefs about angina are associated with reductions in both functional and psychological status. These beliefs are easily and quickly identified using a simple questionnaire and should be corrected.