[Personalities and chronic glaucoma].

This survey has investigated the occurence of psychopathological affections and their relationship with compliance in open angle glaucomatous patients. Three groups have been considered: 48 severe glaucomas, 37 early glaucomas and 48 control patients, under treatment for other ophthalmological affections. These groups have taken a psychiatric interview, compliance evaluating scale and psychological assessment (inducling: Vocabulaire Binois Pichot, Cattel's 16 Personality Factors and Autoanalyse, Thematic Aperception Test and the Rorschach Test analysed through Exner's Synthetic System). Anxiety personality and disoders are more frequent in the glaucomatous group than the control or early (P = 0.0156). Patients in the early group appeared to be most compliant. Personality structure play a role in the acceptance of the disease and in the degree of cooperation with treatment. Maximal compliance is observed at the beginning of the disease. Personality scales show that glaucomatous patients have difficulties in coping with aggressive pulsions and tend to react to affect loaded situations by a defensive or avoiding attitude.