Partners of ICD recipients experience significant negative emotions and employ various coping strategies, highlighting the need for clinical support for family members.
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May warrant screening partners for distress in ICD care; leaves open efficacy of family interventions.
This study explored the experiences of partners of recipients of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). Eighteen partners (11 female and 7 male) were interviewed using semi-structured interviews between 3 and 24 months following their partner's ICD implantation. Analysis focused on the emotional consequences of their partner having an ICD, and how they coped with these. Many of their emotions were negative; these included feeling traumatised by the initial cardiac event; anxiety and fear in relation to their partner's health, and the threat of the ICD firing; and frustration and anger, particularly in relation to the healthcare system. Coping strategies included: active problem-solving, which involved becoming informed about relevant issues and monitoring their partner's health; and engaging in protective behaviour, such as reassessing their role identity, avoidance and concealing worries from their partner. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
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Humphreys et al. (2018) studied this question.
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