The Powerlessness of Staring Into the Dark Abyss: The Psychological Distress Experience of Acute Pulmonary Embolism...

To describe and interpret psychologic distress in patients with acute pulmonary embolism and construct the psychologic image.

A descriptive qualitative study based system-based model of stress.

A tertiary hospital in Changchun, Jilin Province, China.

Acute and critical care clinicians, cardiovascular ICU clinicians, extended care workers, and Physical and mental healthcare professionals, etc.

None.

This study is a descriptive qualitative study, conducting semi-structured in-depth interviews with patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria in a tertiary hospital in Changchun City, with reference to the six dimensions of the system-based model of stress to analyze the data. A total of 16 hospitalized patients with acute pulmonary embolism were included, and five themes (The powerlessness of staring into the dark abyss, Pursuing self-worth and a life of dignity, Cognitive bias, Polarized coping strategies, and Social support bridge between family and hospital interactions) and 11 subthemes were ultimately distilled.

Acute pulmonary embolism is a sudden and life-threatening cardiovascular emergency and critical illness. The problem of psychologic distress in patients with acute pulmonary embolism is of concern, with patients showing a strong sense of powerlessness and uncertainty in the face of sudden critical illness. In the future, it is recommended that a systematic psychologic intervention strategy for patients with pulmonary embolism be developed in conjunction with universal psychologic therapies to complement the existing comprehensive care program, alleviate negative emotions, and improve quality of life.