Healthcare providers at the University Clinic Golnik report that patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and patients diagnosed with obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) and associated obesity are less motivated for treatment and disregard medical recommendations and advice for improvement of symptom severity and health. Personality traits of patients with obstuctive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) with comorbidity of obesity (BMI < 30 kg/m2) were examined in current study. Patients filled in the Questionnaire on Socio-Demographic and Certain Other Health Characteristics, the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) (Morey, 2009) and Test of Object Relations (Žvelc, 1998). The Personality Assessment Inventory was filled in by 40 patients, of whom 18 were diagnosed with OHS and 22 were diagnosed with OSA. Statistically significant differences were indicated on some subscales of the PAI between patients diagnosed with OSA and the normative population. Statistically significant differences were also indicated on some scales and subscales of the PAI between patients diagnosed with OHS and the normative population. There was no statistically significant difference in the scales and subscales of the PAI between the groups of patients diagnosed with OSA and OHS. The Test of Object Relations was filled in by 64 patients, of whom 32 were diagnosed with OHS and 32 were diagnosed with OSA. There are no statistically significant differences in the dimensions and sub-dimensions of the Test of Object Relations between the groups of patients diagnosed with OSA and OHS. The results of the research contribute to a better understanding of the personal functioning of patients, on the basis of which physicians can adapt the approach and interventions in the treatment of patients diagnosed with OSA and OHS.
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