Background: Arteriovenous malformations are abnormal tangles of blood vessels that cause irregular connections between arteries and veins. Rupture of arteriovenous malformations represents a frequent complication associated with a neurological impairment and physical disability.
Methods: We investigated the relationship among coping dimensions and overall quality of life (QoL), and health status after surgical intervention in 20 patients affected by arteriovenous malformations. Each patient was administered a battery of self-report questionnaires (Short Form 12 Health Survey Questionnaire, Brief COPE Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety).
Results: We found that surgical treatment of arteriovenous malformations affected subjective well-being and emotional aspects. Coping ability influenced the QoL and the presence of anxiety and depressive symptoms. We found a significant correlation between depression and humor (r = -.47, P = .03) and between QoL and self-distraction (r = -.48, P = .03) and humor (r = .44, P = .05). In particular, humor was a significant predictor of mental health and physical health.
Conclusions: The presence of anxiety and depression was the cause of deterioration of QoL, even if psychological resources used to deal with the disease significantly modified the subjective perception of well-being. The evaluation of the impact of cerebrovascular disease on QoL should be a basis for planning and evaluating therapeutic and psychological rehabilitative interventions.
Keywords: Anxiety; arteriovenous malformations; coping; depression; quality of life.
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