Abstract

MOTA, Daniela Cristina Grégio d’Arce; BENEVIDES-PEREIRA, Ana Maria T.; GOMES, Mônica Lúcia  and  ARAUJO, Silvana Marques de. Stress and Resilience in Chagas’ Disease. Aletheia [online]. 2006, n.24, pp. 57-68. ISSN 1413-0394.

Several studies show that stress changes the immunity system and may affect the disease’s etiology, progression and severity. Resilience may be defined as the ability that some people have to overcome the dire straights of life and come out of the difficulties more fortified or even transformed. Current research verifies the symptomatology of stress and other aspects related to resilience in people suffering from chronic Chagas’ Disease (CD). One hundred infected people were evaluated, of whom 50% were CD positive. Social and demographic interviews, Stress Symptoms Inventory (SSI) and Resilience Inventory (RI) were employed. CD positive people had higher levels of psychological and physical symptoms of stress and lower resilience ones, mainly with regard to factors involving hopelessness and emotional difficulties.

Keywords : Chronic Chagas’ Disease; Stress; Resilience; Health psychology.

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