Psychological status and quality of life among patients with cardiomyopathy in a tertiary care hospital, Kochi

ABSTRACT Background: Cardiomyopathy is a group of heart disorders in which there is a structural abnormality limited to the myocardium. This study assesses the psychological status and the quality of life among patients with cardiomyopathy in a tertiary care hospital, in Kochi. The study’s objectives were to find the correlation between psychological status and quality of life, to find the association between psychological status and sociodemographic and clinical variables, and to find the influence of selected sociodemographic and clinical variables on dimensions of quality of life. Materials and Methods: A quantitative nonexperimental cross-sectional design with purposive sampling was used to collect the data among 130 subjects with cardiomyopathy. A standardized Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), SF36 questionnaire, and a structured tool to assess sociodemographic and clinical variables. Results: The result showed a significant correlation of anxiety and depression with the quality of life dimensions ( P < 0.05). The association of anxiety with the body mass index (BMI) and ejection fraction was found significant ( P < 0.05). The influence of gender, occupation, income, BMI, palpitation, difficulty to perform activities, hours of sleep, history of alcoholism, giddiness, and history of heart surgery on various dimensions of quality of life was found to be significant ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: Psychological impairment decreases the quality of life, prompt assessment, and timely interventions will improve the quality of life of patients with cardiomyopathy.