Psychological distress among acute coronary syndrome patients – a descriptive cross-sectional study in patients managed at an interventional cardiology unit in Sri Lanka

Abstract Background Mental health issues are a globally prevalent problem. Psychological distress is an emotional and behavioural response to a stressor and can even lead to mental health disease. It is also associated with cardiovascular disease including acute coronary syndrome. Methods Psychological distress was analyzed using Kessler’s psychological distress scale in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome in a primary percutaneous coronary intervention centre in Sri Lanka. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data was collected from an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Patient demographics, personal and social information, health parameters and clinical details were collected for cross comparison. Results Hundred and fifty-seven patients were enrolled. Mean age was 52.9 ± 11.01 years. Majority were males. Forty one percent of the sampled patients had psychological distress. Work schedule, having financial concerns, recent emotional disturbances and presence of hypertension showed significant correlation with psychological distress. Current severity of acute coronary syndrome, complications, investigational findings, treatment choices along with other comorbidities, patients work and social activities, offspring and their concerns along with their personal habits or addictions failed to show any correlation with psychological distress. Conclusion Psychological distress is prevalent among patients with acute coronary syndrome. Rather than disease attributes, individual socio-demographic attributes appear to be more relevant for the evolution of PD in ACS patients. The determinants of psychological distress can be a set of variables which become relevant conditionally rather than being applicable universally and may not always be disease specific.