Anxiety and depression; influence on information needs in patients receiving cardiac rehabilitation

Abstract

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction Educational interventions on healthy lifestyle and cardiovascular risk factors are important elements of Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR), and may increase patients’ self-efficacy, satisfaction and health-promoting behaviour. However, these interventions are often not tailored to individual needs of patients, thereby reducing their effectiveness. In order to tailor educational interventions to individuals, it"s important to identify determinants of information needs. Depression and anxiety are highly prevalent in cardiac patients and negatively influence prognosis. Additionally, depression and anxiety may prevent people from seeking information due to lack of initiative and withdrawal from social situations. Little is known on information needs for anxious and depressed patients entering CR. This study evaluated the influence of anxiety and depression on information needs of patients entering CR. Methods Prospective observational study. Patients were asked to complete questionnaires on anxiety and depression and on information needs and information seeking behaviour before start of CR. Primary endpoint was the association between information needs and risk of anxiety and depression. Results We included 259 patients, predominantly male (76%), mean age 64.8 ± 10.4 year. Two thirds of patients were diagnosed with MI (68%), 163 patients underwent PCI (63%), 71 patients underwent CABG (27%) and 22 patients were treated by medication only (9%). At baseline 19 patients were current smokers (8%). Patients with moderate to high risk of anxiety or depression more often had questions on mood than patients with low risk of anxiety and depression. Patients with moderate to high anxiety risk also more often had questions on nutrition than low risk patients. Discussion In patients entering CR, moderate to high risk of anxiety and depression was associated with higher degree of information needs on mood than their low risk counterparts. This indicates that CR programme and educational interventions should be more specifically tailored to patients’ information needs, taking into account anxiety and depression risk. Information needs before start CR Anxiety risk Depression risk Low (HADS score 0-7) Moderate to high (HADS score 8-21) p-value Low (HADS score 0-7) Moderate to high (HADS score 8-21) p-value Questions on physical activity 71 (37%) 25 (44%) 0.34 78 (38%) 17 (39%) 0.96 Questions on nutrition 49 (26%) 26 (45%) 0.02 57 (28%) 18 (40%) 0.28 Questions on mood 29 (15%) 37 (65%) <0.001 43 (21%) 23 (52%) <0.001 Questions on smoking 3 (23%) 4 (50%) 0.35 5 (33%) 2 (33%) 1.00