Abstract
M.A. (Psychology)
The health context of South Africa is on the one hand unique in
comparison to the rest of the world. On the other hand does it
also. show characteristics of both Third World and First World
disease patterns. There is a substantial component of the South
African health sector that is negatively affected. This can
possibly be ascribed to previous health policies. South Africa
has unique characteristics concerning the chronic degenerative
aspects of the First World disease pattern. White South Africans
have the same cardiovascular disease patterns as the rest of the
world with the exception that the South African disease patterns
has a much larger incidence and degree of seriousness that the
rest of the world. Research in the area of the chronic
degenerative nature of heart disease and vascular disease is of
great importance. It becomes necessary to address degenerative
disease and also lifestyle diseases not only medically but also
in terms of an individual's lifestyle. The management of an
individual's lifestyle will not only have preventive consequences
in the South African context, but it can also be utilised in the
treat~ent of cardiovascular disease.
Research undertaken at the Clinic and Centre for Behavioral
Medicine at the Rand Afrikaans University found that the
management or treatment of the Type A behavior pattern for the
prevention of recurrent cardiovascular diseases were particularly
effective. It therefore seems that technology developed
elsewhere proves to be effective for the South African context.
According to Johnston (1992) two types of risk factors contribute
to the development of cardiovascular disease. The first
constitute of classical risk factors which include aspects of
blood pressure and cholesterol. The second risk factor includes
psychological aspects and in particular the Type A behavior
pattern and its components. Johnson and Broman (1987) indicate
that the components of anger and hostility of the Type A behavior
pattern constitute the most important behavioral factor of Type
A coronary-prone behavior and cardiovascular disease. Research
also indicate that the component of hostility presents a
significant predictor of cardiovascular disease (Helmers et al.,
1993) .
The role of aggression and its components in the Type A behavior
pattern was investigated in this study. An attempt was made to
establish whether there is a simultaneous reduction in
aggression, its components and the Type A behavior pattern and
whether certain components of aggression were more important that
others. A group of 39 heart patients were investigated on the
following indexes: psychological, cardiological and biochemical
in order to establish heart disease risk factors in a
biopsychosocial context. A modified Type A treatment progranme
was administered to this group over a period of twelve weeks at
a local heart rehabilitation centre. A second group of 19
patients served as a no-treatment waitinglist control group, but
simultaneously underwent an aerobic exercise and cardiovascular
counselling programne.
The results of this study indicated that cynical hostility was
probably the major risk factor of all the components of
aggression in the Type A behavior pattern. The second most
important component of aggression in the Type A behavior pattern
is the expression of anger in general. The latter also
corresponds with results found in research on this subj ect.
Ov-ert or specific expression of anger .nd the control of anger
also contribute to the psychosocial causation of Type A behavior
pattern in cardiovascular disease. Comparisons of the
experimental and control groups after the intervention showed
statistically significant differences of anger expression in
general, specific anger expression, inhibition of anger, control
of anger, and hostility. It was concluded that significant
differences for the diverse components of aggression have been
found due to the experimental intervention programme.