Perceived Social Support: Correlation with Depression and Symptom Severity in Atrial Fibrillation Patients

Abstract

Background Atrial fibrillation can significantly impair daily functioning and impact the patient's quality of life, both physically and psychologically. Approximately one-third of patients with atrial fibrillation experience anxiety and depression. This study aimed to examine the relationship between perceived social support and the severity of atrial fibrillation (AF) symptoms among depressed and nondepressed AF patients. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at Al-Azhar University Hospitals, assessing depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale (PHQ-9) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) to assess social support. AF was graded according to the modified European Heart Rhythm Association (mEHRA). Results Our study involved a total of 93 atrial fibrillation patients; 32 were nondepressed compared to 61 with depression; 41.9% of the participants were female, with a mean age of 63.2 ± 10.89. Most participants (59.2%)were classified as having grade II AF. Only 17.2% of the participants reported low levels of social support. Among depressed patients, 15.1% reported severe depression. Linear regression analysis found that social support was negatively correlated with depression scores (β = -0.735). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that social support was negatively associated with depression (OR = 0.465, P = 0.001). Ordinal regression showed that low social support was the most significant variable affecting AF grades (OR = 35.939, P = 0.024). Conclusion Our findings highlight the need for social support for patients with AF; higher social support was negatively associated with depression, and lower social support was significantly associated with higher AF grades. This implies that healthcare practitioners should prioritize the psychological aspects to improve the health outcomes of patients with AF.