Psychological distress as predictor of adherence and prognosis among patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting

Abstract

This study examined the role of psychological distress-anxiety and depression-in adherence and prognosis among patients subjected to Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG). By using an interrupted time-series design with one group, 100 patients were observed. They responded to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale before surgery, at the first review (a week after hospital discharge), and at the second review (a month after first review). Participants also completed the Adherence Scale for Cardiac Patients, and the Biopsychosocial Prognosis Scale for CABG at the second review. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses revealed that anxiety and depression at three time-points before and after surgery together predicted participants' outcomes by significantly explaining up to 21% of variance in adherence and 52% of variance in prognosis. However, simple linear regression analysis showed that adherence significantly explained only 5% of variance in prognosis. Psychological distress, thus, affects how effectively patients follow the post-operative care regimen and how well they recover after CABG.