Illness perceptions as predictive factors for anxiety and depressive symptoms among patients with coronary heart disease

Background: Individuals diagnosed with Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) form specific perceptions about their condition. These illness perceptions (IP) influence several clinical and mental aspects of patients' health outcomes. Objective: To describe IP in Jordanian patients with CHD and to examine the role of IP domains in predicting anxiety and depressive symptoms in Jordanian patients with CHD. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, a convenience sample of 193 patients with CHD, who visited the cardiac clinic for routine follow-up, completed the brief illness perception questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results: Participants perceived CHD as a chronic condition with moderate negative consequences and they were highly concerned about their illness. Illness perceptions domains were significantly associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Personal control, treatment control, and disease identity were significant predictors of depressive symptoms, while personal control and emotional representation were significant predictors of anxiety symptoms. Conclusion: Findings indicate that negative illness perceptions are strongly associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Study findings suggest that interventions targeting personal control, treatment control, identity, and emotional representation could improve CHD patients' mental well-being.