Associations of depressive symptoms and social dysfunction with happiness in adults with cardiovascular disease: a...

Focusing on the well-being of individuals with chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, is vital for enhancing their overall quality of life. Hence, this study examined the associations between selected psychosocial factors-namely self-efficacy, depressive symptoms, and social dysfunction-and happiness among patients with cardiovascular disease.

A total of 150 adult cardiovascular patients completed a questionnaire-based survey in 2023. The survey assessed happiness, psychological well-being, general self-efficacy, and demographic variables. Hierarchical linear regression models were used for data analysis, conducted using SPSS version 21.0 software. A significance level of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

In the first step, demographic variables significantly predicted 45.9% of the variance of happiness (p < 0.05). In the second step, after adjusting control variables and dimensions of psychological well-being and general self-efficacy, the explained variance increased to 70.7% of the variance by adding variables (p-value < 0.05). Depressive symptoms (β= -0.316, p-value < 0.05) and social dysfunction (β=-0.204, p-value < 0.05) showed the strongest negative associations with happiness in cardiovascular patients.

Given the strong negative associations between depressive symptoms, social dysfunction, and happiness, psychosocial interventions focused on reducing depressive symptoms and improving social functioning may be effective in enhancing well-being among individuals with cardiovascular disease. It is recommended to integrate mental health screening and support into routine cardiac care.