Study No. 1: Social, personal, and behavioral factors related to present mastery of the laryngectomy event.

Premorbid adjustment patterns and personality traits characterizing assumed vulnerability to stressful events have been shown, in a retrospective study, to provide valuable prognostic profiles which are highly correlated with the laryngectomees' mastery of the operation. Patients with assumed low vulnerability and/or who previously had proven or given indication of being well adjusted, mastered the laryngectomy significantly better than patients with other characteristics. Personality traits and premorbid adjustment patterns predict present mastery abilities better than any of the situational and social factors analyzed. This type of diagnostic exploration may be of great help in planning the rehabilitation program needed by the individual patient.