Screening for anxiety disorders in patients with coronary artery disease

Background Anxiety disorders are prevalent and associated with poor prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, studies examining screening of anxiety disorders in CAD patients are lacking. In the present study we evaluated the prevalence of anxiety disorders in patients with CAD and diagnostic utility of self-rating scales for screening of anxiety disorders. Methods Five-hundred and twenty-three CAD patients not receiving psychotropic treatments at initiation of rehabilitation program completed self-rating scales (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale or HADS; Spielberger State-Anxiety Inventory or SSAI; and Spielberger Trait-Anxiety Inventory or STAI) and were interviewed for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social phobia, panic disorder and agoraphobia (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview or MINI). Results Thirty-eight (7%) patients were diagnosed with anxiety disorder(s), including GAD (5%), social phobia (2%), agoraphobia (1%) and panic disorder (1%). Areas under the ROC curve of the HADS Anxiety subscale (HADS-A), STAI and SSAI for screening of any anxiety disorder were .81, .80 and .72, respectively. Optimal cut-off values for screening of any anxiety disorders were ≥8 for the HADS-A (sensitivity = 82%; specificity = 76%; and positive predictive value (PPV) = 21%); ≥45 for the STAI (sensitivity = 89%; specificity = 56%; and PPV = 14%); and ≥40 for the SSAI (sensitivity = 84%; specificity = 55%; PPV = 13%). In a subgroup of patients (n = 340) scoring below the optimal major depressive disorder screening cut-off value of HADS-Depression subscale (score <5), the HADS-A, STAI and SSAI had moderate-high sensitivity (range from 69% to 89%) and low PPVs (≤22%) for GAD and any anxiety disorders. Conclusions Anxiety disorders are prevalent in CAD patients but can be reliably identified using self-rating scales. Anxiety self-rating scales had comparable sensitivities but the HADS-A had greater specificity and PPV when compared to the STAI and SSAI for screening of anxiety disorders. However, false positive rates were high, suggesting that patients with positive screening results should undergo psychiatric interview prior to initiating treatment for anxiety disorders and that routine use of anxiety self-rating scales for screening purposes can increase healthcare costs. Anxiety screening has incremental value to depression screening for identifying anxiety disorders. Keywords: Coronary artery disease, Anxiety, Screening, Sensitivity, Specificit

Type D (distressed) personality and its assessment with the DS14 in Lithuanian patients with coronary artery disease

We examined Type D personality (combination of negative affectivity with social inhibition) and its assessment with the DS14 in 543 Lithuanian coronary patients. Psychometric analyses confirmed the two-factor structure, internal consistency (α = 0.84/α = 0.75), and test–retest reliability (r = 0.69/0.81) of the DS14 negative affectivity and inhibition components. Negative affectivity correlated (r = −0.58) with emotional stability and social inhibition (r = −0.46) with extraversion; correlations with other Big-Five traits ranged between r = −0.11 and −0.19. Type D patients (34%) had a ninefold increased odds of depression (95% confidence interval = 5.01–17.36) and a fivefold increased odds of anxiety (95% confidence interval = 3.47–7.97). These findings support the validity of the Type D construct in Lithuania. Keywords: anxiety, coronary artery disease, depression, Type D personalit

Decreased physical effort, fatigue, and mental distress in patients with coronary artery disease: Importance of personality-related differences

Background Identification of cardio-toxic psychological symptoms in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients is important. Purpose We examined the association of negative affectivity (NA), social inhibition (SI), and their combination in the distressed (Type D) personality with functional status, fatigue, and mental distress in CAD patients. Method Following acute coronary syndrome, 690 consecutive CAD patients agreed to participate in this cross-sectional study and were evaluated for clinical characteristics, including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and for NA, SI, and Type D personality (i.e., NA and SI; DS14 scale) when they entered a cardiac rehabilitation program in Lithuania. Patient-centered outcomes included functional status (bicycle ergometer), symptoms of fatigue (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20), and mental distress (Beck Depression Inventory–II and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Results The reference subgroup (neither NA nor SI) included 34 % of patients; 13 % had NA only, 19 % had SI only, and 34 % had Type D profile. Type D patients had worse functional status, and Type D patients and NA-only patients had higher symptom levels of fatigue and mental distress. In multivariate regression models that included LVEF, clinical characteristics, and depressive symptoms, Type D personality was an independent predictor of decreased exercise capacity (OR = 1.77, 95 % CI 1.06–2.95, p = .03) and decreased motivation for activity (OR = 3.14, 95 % CI 1.73–5.73, p < .001). Type D, NA, and SI were also independent predictors of mental distress. Conclusions Type D personality traits independently predicted poor functional status and worse patient-centered outcomes independently from LVEF and depression. Further studies exploring personality-related differences in cardiovascular outcomes are needed.Keywords: Coronary artery disease, Type D personality, Outcomes, Functional statu