Background: Treatment for coronary heart disease with coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery provides benefits for physical and psychological health. Poor recovery and adjustment is experienced by some patients and their partners. Aspects of social relationships may be important psychosocial determinants of physical and psychological outcomes for both partners. Methods: A longitudinal study of CABG patients and their partners was conducted with the aim of determining the role of social relationships for short-term recovery and adjustment from surgery. Participants completed measures of emotional adjustment, physical health status, support and caregiving (partners only), 4 weeks before and 8 weeks after surgery, and clinical data was obtained from medical notes. The trajectories of variables were analysed, and support variables were examined as predictors for emotional and physical outcomes. The provision of support (caregiver burden) was also assessed as a predictor for partner outcomes, as was its relationship with support. Results: Patients experienced improvements to emotional variables after surgery but only anxiety improved for partners. Both spouses suffered reductions to physical health. After controlling for covariates social support predicted length of hospital stay in patients and marital functioning predicted depression symptoms and anxiety. Social support predicted mood disruption in partners and caregiver burden predicted emotional distress. Caregiver burden predicted decreasing social support, but support was not protective of distress in those with greater burden. Partners reported less favourable levels of emotional and support variables than patients. Conclusions: Support influences the post-surgery adjustment of patients and their partners. The provision of care impacts the partner’s emotional outcomes and their perceptions of support. Particular types of support and the provision of support are risk factors for worse psychological and physical outcomes in CABG patients and their partners, with implications for the development of interventions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:626774 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Leigh, E. S. |
| Publisher | University College London (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/1418929/ |
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