A single-center, cross-sectional prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression in patients prior to elective coronary angiography Stress, anxiety, and depression in patients prior to coronary angiography

Aim: Coronary angiography is one of the definitive diagnostic tests for evaluating coronary artery disease. Patients undergoing this test suffer from psychological strains as well as life-threatening complications that cause many problems for patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of stress, anxiety, and depression of patients prior to elective coronary angiography. Material and Method: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on three hundred and sixty patients at Vali-E-Asr hospital in Fasa city, southwest of Iran. After selecting patients according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, the level of anxiety, stress and depression of patients was measured by Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21). Data analysis was performed using SPSS software, version 19, through descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The findings of this study showed that 83.88% of patients have stress, 65.27% anxiety, and 18.61% depression. Females had higher levels of anxiety than males, and this difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). Discussion: The results of this study revealed that the patient candidates for coronary angiography have higher levels of stress and anxiety. Appropriate nursing interventions are required to reduce psychological problems of these patients prior to coronary angiography.