Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Heart Failure Patients: A Test of the Cardiac Disease-induced PTSD Hypothesis

Title
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Heart Failure Patients: A Test of the Cardiac Disease-induced PTSD Hypothesis
Publication Date
2020-01-15
Author(s)
Tully, Phillip J
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2807-1313
Email: ptully2@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:ptully2
Cosh, Suzanne M
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8003-3704
Email: scosh@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:scosh
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd
Place of publication
United Arab Emirates
DOI
10.2174/2666082215666191113121558
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/30311
Abstract
Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent in approximately 12% of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and such patients are at risk of further CVD morbidity and mortality. It is unknown whether CVD patients with cardiac and non-cardiac traumatic events leading to PTSD differ in medical comorbidities and psychiatric vulnerabilities. Our objective was to compare heart failure (HF) patients with cardiac and non-cardiac PTSD.
Methods: A population of HF patients from 3 hospitals underwent a two-step depression and anxiety screening process to identify potential mental health treatment needs. The post-traumatic stress disorder module of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis-I disorders was used to classify trauma(s) exposure, and other disorders. The patients with PTSD were sub-divided by cardiac related traumas (e.g. myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac arrest) and non-cardiac related traumas (e.g. sexual abuse, interpersonal violence).
Results: 10 patients met criteria for non-cardiac trauma and 18 patients met criteria for cardiac-induced trauma. There were no significant differences in HF aetiology or severity nor cardiac comorbidities. Time since PTSD, onset was significantly longer for those with non-cardiac PTSD. Among psychiatric comorbidities, alcohol and substance abuse disorders, as well as depression were more prevalent in patients with non-cardiac PTSD.
Conclusion: Cardiac related PTSD was associated with less alcohol and substance abuse disorders, and depression by comparison to their non-cardiac induced PTSD counterparts. Ongoing research is required to establish if cardiac-induced PTSD truly reflects a unique subtype of PTSD, and whether there are different treatment needs and therapeutic approaches for this subtype.
Link
Citation
Current Psychiatry Research and Reviews, 15(4), p. 290-296
ISSN
2666-0830
2666-0822
Start page
290
End page
296

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