Illness Perceptions in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) Patients and Their Association With Heart-Focussed Anxiety.

BACKGROUND

To our knowledge this was the first study aimed at examining the associations between illness perceptions and heart-focussed anxiety amongst individuals with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The secondary aim of this study was to examine the contribution of demographic, clinical and lifestyle factors to heart-focussed anxiety in this patient group.

METHODS

This cross-sectional sample of 153 patients, recruited through social media platforms, completed the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R), Cardiac-Focussed Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ) as well as questionnaires covering demographic, lifestyle and clinical factors.

RESULTS

Hierarchical regression analyses found that illness perceptions significantly accounted for variability in heart-focussed anxiety beyond the effects of clinical, demographic and lifestyle factors. Illness perceptions accounted for 22% of the variability in heart-focussed anxiety, while demographic factors accounted for 12%, and lifestyle and clinical parameters accounted for 17%.

CONCLUSIONS

Whilst longitudinal studies are warranted to confirm these findings, psychological interventions grounded in the Common-Sense Model may have the potential to better support patients coping with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy related anxiety.