Table 1.
Descriptive statistics on alexithymia subgroups measured 3 months after acute MI.
| No alexithymia (N = 93) | Possible alexithymia (n = 24) | alexithymia (n = 37) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (yrs) | 58.27 | 58.92 | 55.67 | 0.68 |
| University or high school degree | 20.61% | 6.73% | 7.71% | 0.09 |
| Previous MI (%) | 8.20% | 10.01% | 7.72% | 0.90 |
| Pain intensity (M± SD) | 7.86 ±.19 | 7.39 ±.33 | 7.50 ±.49 | 0.42 |
| Fear of dying (M± SD) | 5.13 ±.33 | 5.19 ±.56 | 5.83 ±.82 | 0.73 |
| Helplessness (M± SD) | 5.39 ±.30 | 5.69 ±.50 | 5.6 ±.75 | 0.84 |
| History of depression (%) | 25.80% | 10.54% | 69.21% | 0.001* |
| Acute stress disorder symptoms (M± SD) | 14.61 ± 1.11 | 18.16 ± 1.89 | 17.33 ± 2.79 | 0.001* |
| Posttraumatic stress symptoms | 9.66 ± 8.3 | 12.28 ± 12.3 | 22.5 ± 19.5 | 0.02* |
ANOVA, level of significance two-tailed p < 0.05 *
Abbreviations: MI: Myocardial infaction, yrs: year; M: mean; SD: standard deviation