Prevalence of Anxiety, Depression, and Distress in SCAD and Non-SCAD AMI Patients: A Comparative Study

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an increasingly recognized cause of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), particularly in younger women without classic cardiac risk factors. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection is considered to be particularly stressful; however, few studies have quantified SCAD survivor stress levels. This study compared anxiety, depression, and distress levels in SCAD and non-SCAD AMI patients.

A sample of 162 AMI (35 [22%] SCAD) patients was recruited from hospitals and via social media, in Australia and the United States. All had had their AMI in the past 6 mo. Participants completed an online questionnaire comprising the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 (GAD2), Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ2), Kessler-6 (K6), and Cardiac Distress Inventory (CDI). T-tests, χ 2 tests, Mann-Whitney tests, and analysis of covariance were used to compare SCAD and non-SCAD samples. Logistic regression was used to identify the unique predictors of anxiety, depression, and distress, controlling for relevant confounders.

Patients with SCAD were more commonly female and significantly younger than non-SCAD patients. Patients with SCAD scored significantly higher on the GAD2, PHQ2, K6, and CDI and a significantly larger proportion was classified as anxious, depressed, or distressed using these instruments. In logistic regression, together with mental health history, having had a SCAD-AMI predicted anxiety, depression, and distress, after controlling for female sex, younger age, and other confounding variables.

This study supports the view that anxiety, depression, and distress are more common after SCAD-AMI than after traditional AMI. These findings highlight the psychosocial impacts of SCAD and suggest that psychological support should be an important component of cardiac rehabilitation for these patients.