Sex and Psychosocial Differences in Acute Stress Symptoms Prior to Open-Heart Surgery.

Abstract

Acute stress symptoms can occur while cardiac patients await open-heart surgery (OHS). The distress leads to poor outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the association of sex and psychosocial factors (quality-of-life and character strengths). Our study cohort included 481 pre-OHS patients (female 42%; mean age 62 years).Medical indices/factors were obtained from the Society of Thoracic Surgeon's nationaldatabase. Multiple regression analyses were performed following pre-planned stepsand adjusting medical factors. Our findings revealed that sex differences in trauma-related symptoms wereassociated with poor mental well-being, alongside comorbidities. Both mental well-beingand comorbidity factors were directly related to acute stress symptoms, whiledispositional optimism had an inverse association with this outcome. To improve OHS outcomes, our findings suggest healthcare providers be attentive topre-OHS acute stress symptoms, pay greater attention to the emotional well-being oftheir female patients, and develop supportive interventions to enhance personalitystrengths.