Coping strategies after heart transplantation: psychological implications

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate coping strategies used by patients submitted to heart transplantation and whether they are related to the perception of the disease and transplantation.Methods: Cross-sectional study with quantitative and qualitative analysis. The sample of 32 patients was assessed by the Ways of Coping Scale and socio-demographic questionnaire, and five of them were selected for interviews. The internal consistency of the scale was assessed, the variables and strategies involved were crossed and content analysis of interviews, investigating the existence of a relationship with the speech of the participants.Results: The individuals have used all coping styles, with a predominance of the problem-focused strategy. Psychologically prepared patients showed a statistically significant increase in the use of problem-focused coping and seek for social support. However, a significant increase in the use of emotion-focused coping was observed in patients who were not prepared. Analysis through the method of Bardin showed as categories: disease; reaction to call; transplantation; fantasies; postoperative; team and coping.Conclusion: Patients with a transplanted heart make use of all coping strategies, with a predominance of the problemfocused strategy. Psychologically prepared individuals used more active coping strategies, which highlights the importance of psychological support during the process. Descriptors:Heart transplantation. Adaptation, psychological. Sickness impact profile. Resumo Objetivos: Verificar as estratégias de enfrentamento utilizadas por indivíduos que tiveram o coração transplantado e suas relações com percepção da doença e do transplante.Métodos: Estudo transversal com análise quantitativa e qualitativa. A amostra de 32 pacientes foi avaliada pela Escala Modos de Enfretamento de Problemas e questionário sociodemográfico; e cinco deles foram sorteados para entrevista. Realizou-se a avaliação da consistência interna da escala, cruzamentos entre as variáveis e os estilos de enfrentamento e a análise de conteúdo das entrevistas, relacionando os resultados ao discurso dos participantes.Resultados: Os indivíduos utilizaram todos os estilos de enfrentamento, predominando o focalizado no problema. Nos participantes que receberam preparo psicológico, houve aumento estatisticamente significativo dos enfrentamentos focalizados no problema e na busca de suporte social. Entretanto, naqueles que não receberam preparo, houve aumento significativo da utilização do enfrentamento focalizado na emoção. Através do método de Bardin, revelaram-se como categorias: doença, reação ao chamado, transplante, fantasias, pós-operatório, equipe e enfrentamento.Conclusões: Os participantes utilizaram todos os estilos de enfrentamento, predominando a estratégia focalizada no problema. Os que receberam preparo psicológico usaram maior número de estratégias de enfrentamento ativas, o que evidencia a importância do acompanhamento psicológico durante o processo.

Quality of Life, Depression, Anxiety and Coping Strategies after Heart Transplantation

“…A study carried out in a hospital in Belo Horizonte, which investigated the demographic and epidemiological profile of patients undergoing a heart transplant, observed a predominance of male patients, living in cohabitation, with incomplete primary education and retirees. The average age range of 53 years can also be observed in other studies on the subject [2,7,13,14] .…”

“…When a cardiopathy occurs, a complex interaction of variables interferes in the progression and patient's recovery [2] .…”

“…A successful cardiac transplantation not only prolongs life, but also optimizes the patient's psychosocial functioning [2,7] .…”

Effects of cardio respiratory heated water-based training in an adult after heart transplantation

“…According to Trevizan et al 48 heart transplantation per se is already a predictor of QoL improvement for transplant patients because they feel satisfied due to overcoming the pre-transplant difficulties. 49 Likewise, other studies have shown that HT surgery in patients with refractory heart failure presents better results in relation to QoL, as they see an improvement in the physical condition. 50,51 The results obtained in the present study show that the exercise protocol in water increased the QoL improvement.…”

The Relationship Between Death Depression and Death Anxiety with Coping Style Among CHD Patients

“…It has been found that CHD also affects emotional, mental, social, and economic conditions of the patients. In other words, heart injuries, not only create physical symptoms and disabilities, but also have a harmful effect on the mental state of a person dealing with it, and may result in psychological stresses such as death depression, death anxiety and coping style dysfunction (3,4).…”