[Which kinds of distress do partners or spouses of cardiac arrhythmias patients exhibit?].
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.
Einsle
Franziska
F
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychotherapie und Psychosomatik, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus der TU Dresden. franziska.einsle@uniklinikum-dresden.de
Nitschke
Michael
M
Petrowski
Katja
K
Ende
Christoph
C
Joraschky
Peter
P
Strasser
Ruth H
RH
Köllner
Volker
V
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