Perception of health control and self-efficacy in heart failure

The issue of self-perceived health control and related sense of self-efficacy has not received any attention in patients with heart failure (HF), although these psychological features have been established to determine the patients' approach towards healthcare professionals and their recommendations, which strongly affects compliance.

A total of 758 patients with systolic HF (age: 64 ± 11 years, men: 79%, NYHA class III–IV: 40%, ischaemic aetiology: 61%) were included in a prospective Polish multicentre Caps-Lock-HF study. A Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) scale was used to assess subjective perception of health control in three dimensions (internal control, external control by the others, and by chance); the Generalised Self Efficacy scale (GSES) was used to estimate subjective sense of self-efficacy; and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used to determine depressive symptoms.

The majority of patients perceived the external control (by the others) and internal control of their health as high (77% and 63%, respectively) or moderate (22% and 36%, respectively), whereas self-efficacy was perceived as high or moderate (63% and 27%), which was homogenous across the whole spectrum of the HF cohort, being unrelated to HF severity, HF duration, the presence of co-morbidities, and the applied treatment. The stronger the perception of internal health control, the higher the self-efficacy (p < 0.05); both features were related to less pronounced depressive symptoms (p < 0.05).

The established pattern of self-perceived control of own health and self-efficacy indicates that patients with HF acknowledge the role of others (i.e. healthcare providers) and themselves in the process of the management of HF, and are convinced about the high efficacy of their undertaken efforts. Such evidence supports implementation of a partnership model of specialists’ care of patients with HF.