Romanian Journal of Medical Practice (Dec 2017)

Distress vulnerability and social support in patients with peripheral arterial disease and patients with varicose disease

  • Liliana Veronica DIACONESCU,
  • Ion DIACONESCU

DOI
https://doi.org/10.37897/RJMP.2017.4.13
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 4
pp. 245 – 249

Abstract

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Introduction. Both peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and varicose disease (VD), as chronic diseases, can generate high levels of emotional distress, with negative affects, which will influence treatment adherence and quality of life. The study’s aim was to analyze the relationship between anxiety, depression, perceived stress and social support in patients with PAD and with VD. Method. The study included a number of 54 patients (38 men and 16 women) diagnosed with PAD (39 patients) and with VD (15 patients).There were applied (before surgery) psychological tests: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), The Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire (FSSQ). Results. Women had higher levels of anxiety and depression than men (ns), higher scores on perceived stress scale (32,94 vs 29, t=-2,26; p<0,028), but lower scores on social support scale (25,50 vs 30,42, t=2,13; p<0,038). Patients with PAD had higher scores at anxiety (10,31 vs 8,33, t=2,58; p<0,012), depression (7,36 vs 5,40, t=2,05; p<0,045) and perceived stress (31 vs 28, ns) and lower scores at social support scale (27,62 vs 32,47, t=-2,05; p<0,045) than patients with VD. Both anxiety and depression positively correlated with perceived stress (0,639 respective 0,410; p=0,01) and negatively with social support (-0,574, respective -0,522; p=0,01). Age negative correlated with social support (-0,464; p=0,01). Conclusions. The indication for surgical treatment of vascular disease is a distress factor, leading to anxiety and depression. The increased anxiety at patients with PAD compared with those with VD can be explained by greater severity of this group of diseases, higher surgical risks, more frequent complications and a high risk of amputation. Low social support mainly observed in some elderly patients indicate, on the one hand the restriction of support network at this age and, on the other hand, its usefulness especially in the case of diseases that require surgery and postoperative recovery.

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