School of Nursing, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.
The Second Affiliated Hospital of the University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, China.
BMJ Open. 2024 Feb 28;14(2):e079298. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-079298.
Anxiety and depression are critical mental health problems among persons with coronary heart disease (CHD). The range of symptoms is an important stressor for adverse cardiovascular events, and these symptoms can be involved in various ways during the course of CHD. However, the characteristics and mechanisms of comorbidity between the two mental states from the viewpoint of symptom interactions in patients with CHD remain unclear. Therefore, we aim to apply a symptom-oriented approach to identify core and bridge symptoms between anxiety and depression in a population with CHD and to identify differences in network structure over time and symptomatic link profiles.
We designed a multicentre, cross-sectional, longitudinal study of anxiety and depression symptoms among patients with CHD. We will evaluate degrees of symptoms using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire and the WHO Quality of Life-Brief version. Patients will be followed up for 1, 3 and 6 months after baseline measurements. We will analyse and interpret network structures using R software and its packages. The primary outcomes of interest will include centrality, bridge connections, estimates, differences in network structures and profiles of changes over time. The secondary outcome measures will be the stability and accuracy of the network. By combining cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, this study should elucidate the central and potential causative pathways among anxiety and depression symptom networks as well as their temporal stability in patients with CHD.
The project conforms to the ethical principles enshrined in the Declaration of Helsinki (2013 amendment) and all local ethical guidelines. The ethics committee at the University of South China approved the study (Approval ID: 2023-USC-HL-414). The findings will be published and presented at conferences for widespread dissemination.
ChiCTR2300075813.
焦虑和抑郁是冠心病患者的严重心理健康问题。症状范围是不良心血管事件的重要应激源，这些症状在冠心病病程中可能以各种方式出现。然而，从冠心病患者症状相互作用的角度来看，这两种精神状态的合并症特征和机制仍不清楚。因此，我们旨在应用一种以症状为导向的方法，确定冠心病患者中焦虑和抑郁之间的核心和桥梁症状，并确定随时间变化的网络结构和症状联系特征的差异。
我们设计了一项多中心、横断面、纵向研究，以评估冠心病患者的焦虑和抑郁症状。我们将使用广泛性焦虑障碍量表、患者健康问卷和世界卫生组织生活质量简短版评估症状严重程度。患者将在基线测量后 1、3 和 6 个月进行随访。我们将使用 R 软件及其包分析和解释网络结构。主要观察结果包括中心性、桥梁连接、估计值、网络结构差异和随时间变化的特征。次要观察结果将是网络的稳定性和准确性。通过结合横断面和纵向分析，本研究应该阐明冠心病患者焦虑和抑郁症状网络之间的中心和潜在因果途径及其随时间的稳定性。
该项目符合《赫尔辛基宣言》（2013 年修订版）和所有当地伦理准则中规定的伦理原则。南华大学伦理委员会批准了该研究（批准号：2023-USC-HL-414）。研究结果将发表并在会议上展示，以广泛传播。
ChiCTR2300075813。
