Assessment of mental health and quality of life in patients with a coronary artery bypass graft

Objectives To assess mental state (depression, anxiety, and cognition) and quality of life (QOL) in patients with a coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). Participants and methods Three groups were included: one case group (30 individuals who had CABG) and two control groups (60 individuals divided into two subgroups): control group 1 included 30 patients who had coronary artery disease (CAD) and control group 2 included 30 healthy individuals. Patients diagnosed with CAD, patients who had undergone a CABG surgery, and patients who had undergone a successful operation without postsurgical complications were included after a period of 2 months following surgery. Patients with medical conditions that might affect cognition, patients in acute medical distress, and patients with previous psychiatric illness were excluded. All groups were assessed using the following tools: the Mental State Examination, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form 36-item questionnaire (MOS SF-36), and the Present State Examination (PSE) for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM IV). Results There was a nonsignificant difference in age, marital status, sex, and education between patients and the two control groups. Patients with CADs had more severe depression and anxiety than the other two groups, with a significant difference in the depressive scale of the HADS. There was a nonsignificant difference between all groups in the PSE or DSM IV diagnoses. Patients with CADs showed the worst QOL in all groups, with a significant difference in all items of MOS SF-36, except for physical functioning and role emotional functioning. Conclusion Patients with CADs experience more depression and anxiety than normal individuals. The CABG operation has a beneficial effect in decreasing depression and anxiety and improving QOL in patients with CADs.