Home measures of anxiety, avoidant coping and defence as predictors of anxiety, heart rate and skin conductance level just before invasive cardiovascular procedures

• Published in: Journal of psychosomatic research Vol. 38; no. 4; p. 315
• Main Authors: de Jong, M, Erdman, R A, van den Brand, M J, Verhage, F, Passchier, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-05-1994
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Aged; Anxiety - psychology; Arousal; Cardiac Catheterization - psychology; Defense Mechanisms; Female; Galvanic Skin Response; Heart Defects, Congenital - diagnosis; Heart Defects, Congenital - psychology; Heart Defects, Congenital - therapy; Heart Rate; Heart Valve Diseases - diagnosis; Heart Valve Diseases - psychology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Infarction - diagnosis; Myocardial Infarction - psychology; Personality Assessment; Sick Role; Social Environment
• ISSN: 0022-3999
• DOI: 10.1016/0022-3999(94)90036-1

The question was whether anxiety, heart rate and skin conductance level just before invasive cardiac procedures could be predicted by anxiety related measures obtained at patients homes approximately 3 weeks before treatment. Trait measures of avoidant coping and defence were provided by sixty-three male and thirty-three female patients who were scheduled for a diagnostic or interventional heart catheterization. In hospital physiological measures were registered continuously during a 20 min interview and subsequently patients reported their anxiety. Results with hierarchical regression analysis showed that sex, age, medical variables and state anxiety at home explained 62% of state anxiety in hospital. Female sex predicted high anxiety in hospital while advanced age predicted low anxiety. Medical variables and measures of coping and defence did not add a significant contribution to this prediction of anxiety. Skin conductance and heart rate measures could not be predicted by the psychological measures collected at home.