Psychological distress and health perception in patients with a previous myocardial infarction or stroke: a national cross-sectional study

Background While understanding the impact of mental health on health perception improves patient-centered care, this relationship is not well-established in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). We examined the relationship between psychological distress and health perception in patients with a previous myocardial infarction (MI) and/or stroke. Methods We extracted data for patients with a previous MI and/or stroke from the 2019 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). Health perception was self-reported. Presence and severity of anxiety and depression were estimated using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-8 (PHQ-8). Binary analyses of anxiety/depression, multivariable logistic regressions controlling for confounders, and univariable analyses of confounders and anxiety/depression severity were performed. Results Of 31,948 individuals for whom data on MI/stroke was available, 1235 reported a previous MI and 1203 a previous stroke. The odds of positive perceived health status were lower for individuals with anxiety/depression compared to those without anxiety/depression in both post-MI (anxiety OR 0.52, 95% CI = 0.32-0.85, P < 0.001; depression OR 0.45, 95% CI = 0.29-0.7, P < 0.001) and post-stroke groups (anxiety OR 0.61, 95% CI = 0.39-0.97, P < 0.001; depression OR 0.37, 95% CI = 0.25-0.55, P < 0.001) upon multivariable analyses. Increasing severity of anxiety/depression was also associated with worse perception of health status upon univariable analysis. Conclusion Among patients with a previous acute CVD event, those with psychological distress have worse perception of their health status. Understanding the range of patient health perceptions can help physicians provide more patient-centered care and encourage patient behaviors that may improve both CVD and mental health outcomes.