In men with angina, social disability and symptom burden are heavily influenced by personality factors and psychological states rather than physical handicap alone.
Summary Cardiac and mental states were assessed for forty men with angina pectoris, and relatives were interviewed as to symptoms and social disability. Depression and anxiety together with irritability, fatigue and sleeplessness were common and minimization of such symptoms as well as of physical limitation was prominent. There were characteristic and major changes at work and in leisure and family life. Disability was not closely related to physical handicap and it was evident that personality factors are of considerable significance in determining response and adaptation to angina.
Richard Mayou (1973) studied this question.