Resumen

VAINBOIM, Tatiana Bukstein. Representation of the illness, and levels of anxiety and depression. In interned patients with hyperthyroidism as compared to ambulatorial patients. Psicol. hosp. (São Paulo) [online]. 2005, vol.3, n.1, pp. 103-120. ISSN 2175-3547.

It is naturally understood that the presence of organic illness affects people emotionally. The goal of the present study has been to investigate the representation of the illness and the internment of interned patients diagnosed with Hyperthyroidism. The intention of the study was to observe possible association with the levels of anxiety and depression, comparing them to ambulatory patients. There were 30 patients that participated in the study, 9 were interned and the remaining 21 were given outpatient attention. Two instruments of inquiry had been used: the Semi Structured Psychological Interview and the HAD (Hospital Anxiety Depression) Scale, an abbreviation for the Evaluation Scale for Anxiety and Depression, in a hospital context. It was observed that both anxiety and depression levels were higher in ambulatory patients. With reference to the representation of the internment, we found that, among the patients with Hyperthyroidism, internment and surgical treatment is to be expected, as no real way of dealing with the chronic nature of this illness is to be found in these instruments. It has been concluded, therefore, that Hyperthyroidism is a medical condition that brings important consequences in terms of quality of life and the psycheological state of the patient, such that psychological intervention is of great importance to the multidisciplinary treatment of the Endocrinology Sector.

Palabras clave : Hyperthyroidism; Hospital psychology; Anxiety; Depression; Social representation.

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