Cardiovascular disease, self-care and emotional regulation processes in adult patients: balancing unmet needs and quality of life

Eleonora Cilli; Jessica Ranieri; Federica Guerra; Claudio Ferri; Dina Di Giacomo

doi:10.1186/s13030-022-00249-y

Cardiovascular disease, self-care and emotional regulation processes in adult patients: balancing unmet needs and quality of life

Biopsychosoc Med. 2022 Sep 30;16(1):20. doi: 10.1186/s13030-022-00249-y.

Authors

Eleonora Cilli^{1

2}, Jessica Ranieri^{1

2}, Federica Guerra^{1

2}, Claudio Ferri^{2

3}, Dina Di Giacomo^{4

5}

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Clinical Psychology and Psychoncology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
² Life, Health and Environmental Sciences Department, University of L'Aquila, Via Spennati n. 1, 67010, L'Aquila, Italy.
³ Internal Medicine Division, S. Salvatore Hospital, ASL1 AQ, L'Aquila, Italy.
⁴ Laboratory of Clinical Psychology and Psychoncology, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy. dina.digiacomo@cc.univaq.it.
⁵ Life, Health and Environmental Sciences Department, University of L'Aquila, Via Spennati n. 1, 67010, L'Aquila, Italy. dina.digiacomo@cc.univaq.it.

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular disease is a chronic non-communicable illness that causes more than half of all deaths across Europe. Unhealthy lifestyle, inadequate adherence to medical prescriptions, themselves associated with psycho-emotional disorders are considered risk factors for reduced quality of life as well physical condition.

Objective: Aim of our study was to understand predictive factors for disease management by evaluating psychological aspects, self-care processes and emotional regilati0on in CVD outpatients.

Methods: An observational study was conducted. Sixty-one patients, age 18-75 years (M 56.4 ± sd 12.0), diagnosed with CVD participated in the study. The psychological battery was administered during clinical follow-up oriented to detect emotional and psychological dimensions as well adaptive behavioral and quality of life by standardized questionnaire/scales.

Results: Finding showed that emotional dysregulation might influence QoL, particularly significant effect of awareness (β= 0.022; SE = 1.826; p < 0.002), goals (β = - 0.54; SE = 1.48; p < 0.001) and clarity (β = - 0.211; SE = 2.087; p < 0.003). The results also suggest that the mediated effect accounted for awareness index was 18.7% (R² = 0.187) of the variance; goals index 62.8% (R² = 0.628) of the variance and, then significant mediated effect of clarity was 58.8% (R² = 0.588) of the variance. This evidence suggests that the relationship between triggers and QoL is mediated by emotional dysregulation indexes.

Conclusion: In clinical practice psychological screening can be an effective tool for detecting predictive factors in the management of the CVD patient's health and adherence to medical treatment: the screening of predictive psychological factors for allowing a good clinical condition management and a self-care empowerment aimed at increasing psychological well-being and the Quality of Life by planning adequate integrated and multidisciplinary support.

Keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Psychological dimensions; Quality of life; Self-care behaviors.