Psychological distress and intensive care unit stay after cardiac surgery: The role of illness concern

Health Psychol. 2015 Mar;34(3):283-7. doi: 10.1037/hea0000183. Epub 2014 Dec 22.

Abstract

Objective: To examine the association between psychological factors and length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay in patients undergoing elective coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.

Method: We studied 212 adults undergoing CABG surgery preoperatively to assess depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and illness perceptions and then followed them up during the in-hospital stay to measure length of ICU stay.

Results: Greater preoperative concern about the illness (B = .200, 95% CI [.094, .305], p = < .001), but not depression or anxiety symptoms, was significantly related to longer ICU stays after controlling for demographic, clinical, and behavioral covariates.

Conclusions: Illness concern may be particularly relevant for CABG recovery, though more work is needed to delineate the exact mechanisms of this effect.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Anxiety / psychology*
  • Cardiac Surgical Procedures / psychology*
  • Coronary Artery Bypass / psychology*
  • Depression / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intensive Care Units
  • Length of Stay / statistics & numerical data*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Preoperative Period
  • Risk Factors
  • Stress, Psychological / psychology*