ASSESSMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS IN CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE PATIENTS
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Keywords
Stress, cardiovascular disease patients, gender, age, education, socioeconomic status
Abstract
Introduction: Research has demonstrated a correlation between prolonged stress and a rise in cardiovascular incidents. Chronic stress, lasting months or even years can have long-term negative effects on one's health. Similarly, acute stress has been linked to an elevated short-term risk of CVD, particularly in individuals with pre-existing risk. The fact that persistent stress significantly raises CVD risk variables further necessitates to assess the stress level in CVD patients. Additionally, it is linked to higher levels of obesity and hypertension (regardless of diet and exercise). Assessing the effect of stress alone on CVD is very important for CVD patients.
Objectives: To assess the level of stress in CVD patients and compare it to the non-CVD population and to investigate the impact of socioeconomic status, gender, age, and education on the stress levels of patients with CVD.
Materials and methods: A comparative study was conducted to assess the level of stress in CVD patients. The study recruited a total of 200 participants (N = 200), 100 CVD patients from OPDs of one private and one government hospital in Rawalpindi, Pakistan in 2023. For comparison, the control group comprised 100 non-CVD participants from the general population were recruited. A technique of random sampling was employed to enroll the participants. The effect of demographic variables on patients with CVD (N = 100) was investigated.
To assess the level of stress in CVD patients and compare it to the non-CVD population. To investigate the impact of socioeconomic status, gender, age, and education on the stress levels of patients with CVD.
Results: The stress level of CVD patients was significantly higher than the control group. In addition, gender and socioeconomic status significantly affected the severity of stress in CVD patients. However, age and educational level did not significantly affect stress level in CVD patients.
Conclusion: It has been demonstrated that persistent stress is linked to elevated Persistent stress is a common and often overlooked risk factor for CVD. Additionally, while assessing patients with or at risk for CVD, medical professionals ought to consider stress and advise strategies for lowering stress levels in those with high-felt stress or increased exposure.
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Muhammad Arif Khan
Department of Psychology, University of Peshawar – Pakistan
Ruqaia Gul
Department of Psychology, University of Peshawar – Pakistan
Erum Irshad
Department of Psychology, University of Peshawar – Pakistan