Psychosocial adjustment in young and middle-aged adults after coronary stent implantation: A mixed-method study

Heart Lung. 2022 Mar-Apr:52:86-94. doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2021.11.012. Epub 2021 Dec 17.

Abstract

Background: Currently, the status and principal factors of psychosocial adjustment of young and middle-aged patients after coronary stent implantation (CSI) are understudied.

Objective: To investigate the psychosocial adjustment and the life experiences of young and middle-aged patients after CSI and the corresponding support necessary to maintain psychosocial health for this patient population.

Methods: This is a mixed-method study. Self-reported questionnaires were used to survey 236 patients after CSI from November 2019 to November 2020 in Guangdong, China. Eight of these patients were purposefully invited to participate in semi-structured interviews.

Results: The mean score of psychosocial adjustment were 55.25 (SD=19.96), 55.91 (SD=17.99) for the young and middle-aged patients after CSI respectively. The results of regression analysis showed that resilience, social support, and having diabetes were predictors of psychosocial adjustment of young patients after CSI (R2=0.703, P<0.001). Resilience, social support, current cardiac function, and need to care for parents with chronic diseases were identified as predictors of psychosocial adjustment among middle-aged patients after CSI (R2=0.640, P<0.001). Two themes and six sub-themes related to adjustment challenges and adjustment efforts were identified from the in-depth interviews.

Conclusions: Psychosocial adjustment of young and middle-aged patients after CSI still needs to be improved. Higher level of social support and resilience would promote patient's psychosocial adjustment after CSI. Diabetes was a negative factor of psychosocial adjustment in young patients, whereas limited cardiac function, need to take care of parents with chronic diseases were negative factors in middle-aged patients. After CSI, both young and middle-aged patients faced various challenges of adjustment.

Keywords: Coronary stent implantation; Psychosocial adjustment; Young and middle-aged adults.

MeSH terms

  • Adaptation, Psychological
  • Adult
  • China
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Parents
  • Social Support*
  • Stents*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires