Psychological needs and mental health in women aged > or = 65 years after cardiac surgery: an exploratory study.
BACKGROUND
Recent developments in cardiac care have led to an increase survival even among elderly cardiac patients. Previous studies showed that women have worse health related outcomes compared with men. The main aims of this study are to assess psychological needs and factors promoting mental health among women aged > or = 65 years following heart surgery.


METHODS
74 consecutive women aged > or = 65 years and referred to a cardiac rehabilitation unit in Northern Italy after heart surgery were enrolled in this exploratory study. Psychological questionnaires exploring cognitive functioning, psychological needs, anxiety, depression, physical and mental health status, self-esteem were administered by a psychologist to each patient using a face-to-face interview.


RESULTS
The main areas of psychological needs reported by patients were relational and emotional support, assistance and treatment, information about diagnosis and future conditions and information concerning economic-insurance issues. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that factors significantly associated with patients' mental health were anxiety (p = 0.01) and locus of control (p = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
In order to improve older cardiac women's mental health after cardiac surgery is important to offer tailored rehabilitative interventions able to meet their specific needs such as the management of anxiety symptoms and loss of control, the need to regain the family role, the need of more information concerning the diagnosis and prognosis and emotional support.
Psychological Unit, Salvatore Maugeri Foundation, Work and Rehabilitation, IRCCS, Scientific Institute of Pavia, Via Maugeri 10, I-27100 Pavia, Italy. ombretta.omodeo@fsm.it
Ombretta
O
Omodeo
Elena
E
Fiabane
Ines
I
Giorgi
Claudia
C
Grandis
Alessandra
A
Gualco
Monica
M
Ceresa
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008603:Mental Health; D011184:Postoperative Period; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health