Perceived health competence predicts anxiety and depressive symptoms after a three-year follow-up among adolescents and adults with congenital heart disease.
Carine E Leslie, Kyle Schofield, Kathryn Vannatta and 1 others
PMID 31722548WHAT IT FOUND
Higher perceived ability to manage health predicted less anxiety and depression three years later, even after baseline symptoms and functional impairment.
Ask patients how confident they feel managing their health; low confidence may flag emotional risk.
Key findings
01Lower baseline perceived health competence was associated with more anxiety and depressive symptoms at baseline.
02Lower baseline perceived health competence was associated with greater functional impairment at follow-up.
03Baseline perceived health competence predicted follow-up anxiety and depressive symptoms after accounting for baseline symptoms and follow-up functional impairment.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 125 participants had complete data after follow-up, so the regression is based on a smaller group than the original consented sample. Attrition was not random: females were more likely than males to take part at follow-up, although there were no sex differences in symptoms or perceived health competence in this sample. Anxiety and depressive symptoms were measured with different scales at baseline and follow-up, so change over time is hard to interpret. All key variables were self-reported, which can inflate apparent relationships. The study was observational, so it cannot show that perceived health competence caused lower symptoms or that improving it would help. Participants were recruited from Midwest hospitals, so results may not apply to other regions or countries. The sample size prevented testing moderators such as age, sex, or clinic type.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflict of interest. The article is listed as supported by NIH extramural research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that improving perceived health competence will reduce anxiety or depression. This study observed patients over time and found a predictive association, not a tested treatment effect.