Resilience of patients with coronary heart diseases in Jordan: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the level of resilience and related factors among patients with coronary heart disease. METHODS: A cross-sectional was used to determine the factors associated with the level of resilience. A convenience sampling technique was used to recruit 134 patients with coronary heart disease who attended the out-patients cardiology clinics at two leading public hospitals in Jordan from July to September 2017. The Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) was used to collect the data via a face-to-face structured interview. Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal Wallis test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: The results showed a moderate level of resilience among patients with coronary heart diseases. Patients who reported having no history of a cardiac procedure reported a higher total resilience score (69.50 [63.25, 75.00] vs. 65.50 [58.00, 72.00]) and a higher score in dimension 1,“personal competence, high standards, and tenacity” than their counterparts (22.00 [18.50, 26.00] vs. 21.00 [15.75, 23.00]) (P < 0.05). Dimension 3 “positive acceptance of change and secure relationships” score was higher for employed patients than retired patients (15.00 [14.00, 16.00] vs. 14.00 [12.00, 15.00]) (P < 0.05). However, no significant associations were found between other socio-demographic characteristics and resilience levels across the five dimensions. CONCLUSION: Identifying the resilience level and related factors among patients with cardiac problems should be integrated into the comprehensive plan of care to improve patient quality of life, enhance effective coping strategies, improve mental health and well-being, and prevent further disease complications.