Variables contributing to distress in male cardiac patients

Fifty-five male subjects attending a cardiology clinic were examined using a structured interview keyed to a 12-item Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS). Sixty-five percent scored in the range of moderate to severe distress with highest mean scores on the following subscales: anxious mood, tension, insomnia, muscular complaints, and global behavioral distress. Two-way analysis of variance revealed the following factors to be significantly associated with higher total HAS scores: greater number of medical diagnoses (P = .007), taking more medications (P = .001), history of psychiatric treatment (P = .007), being declared disabled (P = .002), and living with others (P = .025). Each of these variables might contribute to greater psychological or physical discomfort, increased medical utilization, and difficulty with cardiac rehabilitation. The complexity of psychosocial factors in determining distress is addressed, since subjects living with others scored higher than those who were socially isolated (HAS mean score = 17.9 +/- 8 vs 10.7 +/- 5.5, respectively, P = .025).