Psychological impact of first admission with cardiovascular disease in a tertiary hospital in Oman

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are associated with substantial psychological effects that can adversely influence long term prognosis. The aim of this study was to determine the psychological effect of the first hospital admission for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or congestive heart failure (CHF) in an adult Omani population. METHODS: This cross-sectional questionnaire based study used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Patients were recruited from the in-patient cardiology and medical wards of our institution. Patients with a prior hospital admission for CHF and ACS were excluded. The questionnaire was administered between days 3 and 7 after admission once patients were clinically stable. RESULTS: The study included 116 patients (mean age 60.3 + 13.8 years; 78 (67.8%) men), comprising 52 patients with ACS and 64 patients with CHF. Based on the scores, a total of 45 (38.8%) patients had moderate to severe anxiety, and 32 (27.6%) had moderate to severe depression. Patients with severe anxiety tended to be younger, and no other factors predicted anxiety or depression. The proportion of patients with severe depression was higher among patients with CHF (31.4%), and no other differences were observed between patients with ACS or CHF. CONCLUSION: A substantial proportion of patients admitted to our institution in Oman with CVD had severe anxiety and depression. Treating physicians and caregivers should be more open to identifying these patients, and steps should be taken to address their psychological wellbeing along with the medical management of their illness.