Anxiety in Aortic Clinic: Prevalence of Psychological Distress and Impact of Surgical Intervention and Perceptions of Longevity

P0040 

Abstract Submission 

Elizabeth Jordan (1), Caroline Miller (1), Maeve M. Sargeant (1), Phoebe Jollay-Castelblanco (1), Samuel F. Sears (1), Benjamin Degner (1)

(1) East Carolina University, Greenville, NC

Elizabeth Jordan    -  Contact Me
East Carolina University

Caroline Miller    -  Contact Me
East Carolina University

Maeve M. Sargeant    -  Contact Me
East Carolina University

Phoebe Jollay-Castelblanco    -  Contact Me
East Carolina University

Samuel F. Sears    -  Contact Me
East Carolina University

Benjamin Degner    -  Contact Me
East Carolina University

Benjamin Degner    -  Contact Me
East Carolina University

Objective: To determine the prevalence of psychological distress in thoracic aortic aneurysm patients, examine whether these factors impacted patient beliefs about their longevity, and determine if results differ by surgical status (surgical vs. non-surgical/surveillance).

Methods: During a yearly follow-up visit for thoracic aortic aneurysm surveillance or post-operative monitoring after thoracic aortic aneurysm repair, 45 patients in a rural-serving cardiac surgery clinic were administered measures that assess mental health symptomatology and beliefs about their longevity. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) assessed for the presence of depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms, while a screening item asked patients how long they expected to live, and how long they expected healthy peers would live. Patients were grouped by history of aortic surgical intervention and tested for group differences.

Results: Overall, 26% of patients reported depressive symptoms, 33% reported elevated stress levels, and 53% indicated the experience of elevated anxiety. No significant differences emerged in reported mental health symptoms between surgically treated and non-surgical/surveillance patient groups. A moderate relationship was observed between stress and life expectancy for surgically treated patients, with increased stress being associated with decreased life expectancy (r = -0.43). In addition, those who had undergone surgical repair believed that they would live longer than their healthy peers (81.3 vs. 77.7 years, respectively), while the non-surgical/surveillance group believed they had a shorter life expectancy than their healthy peers (81.7 vs. 84.8 years, respectively).

Conclusions: Mental health distress is highly prevalent in thoracic aortic aneurysm patients. However, mental health symptomatology did not differ by a proxy for disease severity (as indicated by surgical status). For surgically treated patients, the presence of stress resulted in reduced appraisals of life expectancy. Our results also suggest that surgically treated patients may perceive a sense of security for having undergone aortic repair. These results further highlight the psychological impact of aortic disease and the need for routine clinical psychology attention in cardiac surgery clinics.

Aortic Surgery Forum (Basic Aortic Research, Venue for Residents, Fellows, Junior Attendings)