Psychological factors and treatment adherence behavior in patients with chronic heart failure.
BACKGROUND
Chronic heart failure adversely affects 300,000 Australians. Symptom stabilization and prognosis are partially determined by patients following medical and lifestyle recommendations.


METHODS
To test the hypothesis that depression, anxiety, and self-efficacy are independent predictors of such adherence, 115 predominantly male (70.6%) volunteers with a mean age of 63 years were recruited from a major teaching hospital in Australia.


RESULTS
Depression (Beck Depression Inventory score >10, 33.3%) failed to predict adherence. Trait anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory score >40, 31%) explained minimal variability regarding smoking and alcohol adherence. Self-efficacy strongly predicted adherence behavior.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings will assist cardiac nurses to prepare strategies to optimize adherence and quality of life while minimizing public health costs.
Schweitzer
Robert D
RD
School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4034, Australia. r.schweitzer@qut.edu.au
Head
Kathryn
K
Dwyer
Jonathan W
JW
D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002303:Cardiac Output, Low / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012907:Smoking