Perceived Need for Psychosocial Support After Aortic Dissection: Cross-Sectional Survey

Gunther Meinlschmidt; Denis Berdajs; Roger Moser-Starck; Alexander Frick; Sebastian Gross; Ulrich Schurr; Friedrich S Eckstein; Sabina Hunziker; Rainer Schaefert

doi:10.2196/15447

Perceived Need for Psychosocial Support After Aortic Dissection: Cross-Sectional Survey

J Particip Med. 2020 Jul 6;12(3):e15447. doi: 10.2196/15447.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Basel and University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
² Division of Clinical Psychology and Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
³ Division of Clinical Psychology and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, International Psychoanalytic University, Berlin, Germany.
⁴ Division of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
⁵ Division of Medical Communication, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.

PMID: 33064108
PMCID: PMC7434062
DOI: 10.2196/15447

Abstract

Background: The gold standard management of aortic dissection, a life-threatening condition, includes multidisciplinary approaches. Although mental distress following aortic dissection is common, evidence-based psychosocial interventions for aortic dissection survivors are lacking.

Objective: The aim of this study is to identify the perceived psychosocial needs of aortic dissection survivors by surveying patients, their relatives, and health professionals to inform the development of such interventions.

Methods: This study used a cross-sectional survey and collected responses from 41 participants (27 patients with aortic dissection, 8 relatives of patients with aortic dissection, and 6 health professionals) on key topics, types of interventions, best timing, anticipated success, and the intended effects and side effects of psychosocial interventions after aortic dissection.

Results: The principal intervention topics were "changes in everyday life" (28/41, 68%, 95% CI 54.5%-82.9%), "anxiety" (25/41, 61%, 95% CI 46.2%-76.2%), "uncertainty" (24/41, 59%, 95% CI 42.9%-73.2%), "tension/distress" (24/41, 59%, 95% CI 43.9%-73.8%), and "trust in the body" (21/41, 51%, 95% CI 35.9%-67.5%). The most commonly indicated intervention types were "family/relative therapy" (21/41, 51%, 95% CI 35%-65.9%) and "anxiety treatment" (21/41, 51%, 95% CI 35%-67.5%). The most recommended intervention timing was "during inpatient rehabilitation" (26/41, 63%, 95% CI 47.6%-77.5%) followed by "shortly after inpatient rehabilitation" (20/41, 49%, 95% CI 32.4%-65%). More than 95% (39/41) of respondents anticipated a benefit from psychosocial interventions following aortic dissection dissection, expecting a probable improvement in 68.6% (95% CI 61.4%-76.2%) of aortic dissection survivors, a worse outcome for 5% (95% CI 2.9%-7.9%), and that 6% (95% CI 1.8%-10.4%) would have negative side effects due to such interventions.

Conclusions: Our findings highlight a substantial need for psychosocial interventions in aortic dissection survivors and indicate that such interventions would be a success. They provide a basis for the development and evaluation of interventions as part of state-of-the-art aortic dissection management.

Keywords: aortic dissection; patient involvement; psychosocial support; psychosomatic; psychotherapy; treatment need.

©Gunther Meinlschmidt, Denis Berdajs, Roger Moser-Starck, Alexander Frick, Sebastian Gross, Ulrich Schurr, Friedrich S Eckstein, Sabina Hunziker, Rainer Schaefert. Originally published in Journal of Participatory Medicine (http://jopm.jmir.org), 06.07.2020.