Emotions in the evolution of symptoms and diseases

Abstract

The emotions are subjective psycophysical reactions that are acompanied by physiological changes, and are related to the development, onset or aggravation of symptoms and diseases. The goal of this study is to identify the relation between emotions and the appearence and development of symptoms and diseases.

The study population consisted of two groups of 50 patients each, "Group 1" comprised patients in the emergency room, and "Group 2" comprised patients admitted to the Córdoba Hospital,  Av Patria 656, Córdoba, Argentina. A questionnarie was conducted using "Google Forms"  and a statistical analysis was carried out using "InfoStat", aplying Student´s T-test, Analysis of Variance and Correlation Tests. Based on nule hypothesis (H0) that postulates no relation between emotions and symptoms, we founded an alternative hypothesis (H1) that determines that there is a relation between emotions and symptoms, wich differs between outpatients and those that were hospitalized. 

Both groups (78 % and 60,4 %) recognized a connection between emotions and physical symptoms and intense emotional periods. A correlation test was conducted to determine the relation between emotions and symptoms, and in both groups a positive relation was found between anxiety and: headache (r=0,94 and 0,81, p<0,05), chest pain (r=0,73 and 0,87, p<0,05),  tachycardia (r=0,73 and 0,89, p<0,05), shortness of breath (r=0,67 and 0,79, p<0,05); and stress with: headache (r=0,85 and 0,83, p<0,05), tachycardia (r=0,67 and 0,89, p<0,05). Only in Group 1, a relation was found between stress and chest pain (r=0,71, p<0,05), and anxiety and digestive problems (r=0,64, p<0,05). When asked whether patients had sought help from mental health professionals, in both groups (52 % and 48 %), the predominant response was "no, and I do not consider it necessary". Regarding the emotional support from the personnel at Córdoba Hospital, in Group 1, the 40% responded that they were "always" supported and 36 % "sometimes"; in Group 2 the 66,7 % responded that they "always" recieved support.

In conclusion, there is a relation between anxiety, stress and symptoms, although there is no significant difference between both groups. Additionally, patients on the emergency room do not always consider the emotional support from healthcare personnel to be optimal.