Depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder and perceived psychosocial care during hospital stay after myocardial infarction: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Myocardial infarctions (MI) significantly contribute to the global disease burden and are often followed by psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These are frequently underrecognized and insufficiently addressed in clinical care. This study aims to investigate the psychosocial impact of MI, identify risk factors for psychological burden following an MI, and gain insight into the perceived psychological care during hospitalization. METHODS: A total of 199 MI patients participated in a cross-sectional online survey conducted between May 15th and August 1st, 2024. Standardized instruments included Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ), Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ), ENRICHD Social Support Inventory (ESSI), UCLA 3-Item Loneliness Scale, Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), and Stress and Coping Inventory (SCI). Multiple linear regression models examined associations between psychological burden, psychosocial factors, MI event characteristics, illness perception, history of illness, and perceived psychosocial care during hospitalization. RESULTS: More than half (58.8%) of MI patients experienced at least one psychological burden, with 37.7% meeting criteria for depression, 46.2% for anxiety, and 18.6% for PTSD. Additionally, 65.9% reported not to be asked about their mental health during hospitalization. Depression was significantly associated with illness perception (β = 0.386), loneliness (β = 0.228), and age (β = - 0.125). Anxiety was associated with illness perception (β = 0.535), multiple MIs (β = 0.168), fear of death (β = 0.117), prior diagnosis of mental disorder (β = 0.113), resuscitation (β = - 0.108), and having no partner (β = - 0.105). PTSD was linked to illness perception (β = 0.371), age (β = - 0.157), fear of death (β = 0.148), multiple MIs (β = 0.122), loneliness (β = 0.149), and social support (β = - 0.139). CONCLUSION: The findings emphasize the psychological burden following MI and the need for systematic screening in cardiology to improve patient care.