title: [Which kinds of distress do partners or spouses of cardiac arrhythmias patients exhibit?].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Partners or spouses of patients with cardiac arrhythmias were examined for mental and physical health. In addition, gender differences and other influential factors of well-being were analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 486 partners or spouses took part in a study which collected data on anxiety and depression (HADS-D) as well as quality of life (SF-12). The situation of the partners was correlated with social variables, psychological distress, and the physical and mental well-being of the patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pathological anxiety was reported by 20 percent of the partners and 37 percent demonstrated notable values for depression. In comparison to healthy samples quality of life was diminished, especially in male subjects. There was a strong inter-connection between the patient's psychological strain and that of his or her partner. Most important for the partner's physical quality of life was the patient's quality of life (18.4% explained variance). The partner's mental well-being was determined by his or her own psychological distress (31.1% explained variance).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Spouses and partners of patients with cardiac arrhythmias are highly impaired in their psychological well-being. This should be taken into account when dealing with medical care issues in such patients. It is therefore important to inform patients and their families in detail about the potential risks as well as the options for relatives' responses in arrhythmia-induced emergencies.
authors.affiliation: Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus der TU Dresden. franziska.einsle@uniklinikum-dresden.de
authors.forename: Franziska
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Einsle
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nitschke
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Petrowski
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ende
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Joraschky
authors.forename: Ruth H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Strasser
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Köllner
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications