Psychological processes play a complex role in the pathophysiology of many diseases. However, the body and emotional perception of patients and the relationship between dreams and disease still need to be investigated. The investigators planned an observational and controlled research aimed at assessing some previously unaddressed baseline psychological characteristics and their changes at 1 and 5 years after a short-term psychotherapy in carefully characterised patients with heart or oncologic diseases . The patients that will be enrolled are: * 50 patients ≤ 75 year old with acute myocardial infarction; * 30 patients ≤ 75 year old with Tako-Tsubo syndrome; * 50 women ≤ 75 year old, recently operated on breast cancer: * 90 control subjects of the same age and gender of the enrolled patients, without relevant pathologies during the last 10 years. Relevant pathologies are defined as those that required a hospitalisation or a long-lasting medical therapy. At the enrolment all the subjects will undergo a complete medical evaluation, and the following psychometric tests: Self-evaluation test, Social Support Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI II), MacNew Heart Disease Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI 2). In two distinct following meetings, an open questionnaire exploring the body and emotional perception, and another exploring past and recent dreams, will be administered. The same evaluation will be done for the healthy subjects. After the initial evaluation, all the patients will be given the choice to start a short-term psychotherapy lasting 6 months on top of medical therapy or to continue classic medical therapy only. Healthy subjects will be not offered the possibility to follow psychotherapy. At first year of follow-up, the battery of psychometric test, and the two questionnaires exploring the body and emotional perception, and changes and characteristics of dreams during the psychotherapy, will be re-administered. The following data will be evaluated: Psychological characteristics at follow-up. Incidence of new relevant medical events Quality of life Relationship between psychological characteristics and health status, and quality of life At 5 year follow-up psychometric tests and the clinical data will be evaluated in all the groups.
Age range
18 Years – 75 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
Cumulative incidence of new relevant medical events
Timeframe: at 1 year