Anger rumination, social support, and cardiac symptoms in patients undergoing angiography

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Psychology
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Social isolation is linked to increased cardiac symptoms, cardiovascular disease, stress, and anxiety.
• The interplay of psychosocial factors in cardiovascular disease requires further elucidation.
• Anger rumination is a novel psychosocial variable potentially associated with heightened cardiovascular risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the associations between psychological stress, social support, anger rumination, surgical anxiety, and self-reported cardiac symptoms.
• To determine if these psychosocial factors predict angiographically documented coronary artery disease.
• To explore the mediating roles of social support and perceived stress in the relationship between anger rumination and outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A correlational ex post facto design was employed.
• 101 patients scheduled for elective coronary angiography completed validated questionnaires.
• Coronary artery disease severity was objectively assessed using the Gensini scoring system.

Main Results:

• Higher perceived stress, lower social support, and increased anger rumination significantly correlated with greater self-reported cardiac symptom severity.
• None of the psychosocial variables predicted the Gensini score (objective disease severity).
• Social support partially mediated the anger rumination-surgical anxiety link, while perceived stress mediated the anger rumination-cardiac symptoms link.

Conclusions:

• Perceived stress and insufficient social support are key predictors of cardiac symptoms in patients awaiting angiography, independent of actual coronary artery disease severity.
• Interventions should aim to reduce perceived stress through reappraisal and promote support-seeking over ruminative anger coping strategies.