Heart-focused anxiety before and after cardiac surgery.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the degree and course of heart-focused anxiety (HFA) in patients with cardiac diseases before and after cardiac surgery.


METHODS
We examined 90 patients undergoing coronary bypass, valve replacement, or combined surgery before surgery, 6 weeks after surgery, and 6 months after surgery. Patients completed the Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ), which assesses heart-focused fear, attention, and avoidance, and a set of other questionnaires assessing general anxiety, depression, and quality of life. Data were compared with an age- and sex-controlled contrast group of 72 orthopedic patients with no history of cardiac disease.


RESULTS
All dimensions of HFA were elevated in patients before surgery. CAQ-Fear was significantly reduced 6 weeks after surgery and at 6-month follow-up. CAQ-Avoidance was stable after surgery but declined on follow-up, while there was only a statistical tendency indicating reduction in CAQ-Attention. Approximately 20% of patients continued to experience clinically elevated levels of HFA at 6-month follow-up. Furthermore, we found decreases in global anxiety and depression, and an increase in quality of life after surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
In contrast to global psychosocial indicators, the more specific assessment of HFA may help identify individuals with elevated levels of HFA who might benefit from interventions to help them adjust to the effects of surgery and lingering cardiac problems.
Hoyer
Jürgen
J
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany. hoyer@psychologie.tu-dresden.de
Eifert
Georg H
GH
Einsle
Franziska
F
Zimmermann
Katrin
K
Krauss
Stefanie
S
Knaut
Michael
M
Matschke
Klaus
K
Köllner
Volker
V
D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004924:Escape Reaction; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011184:Postoperative Period; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires