Paper
Thursday, July 12, 2007
This presentation is part of : EBN Implementation
The relationship between coping , anxiety and quality of life for Taiwanese post CABG patients
Heng-Hsin Tung, PhD, RN, MSN, FNP, Nursing, University of San Diego , Tungs' Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital, Irvine, CA, USA and Anita Hunter, PhD, RN, CPNP, Nursing, University of San Diego, San Deigo, CA, USA.
Learning Objective #1: An increase in awareness of coping and anxiety as important indicators of successful adaptation after a stressful event.
Learning Objective #2: Indentify the factors can predict a more successful adaptation outcome (quality of life) in post CABG patients
Coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) is a stressful event and requires coping strategies to achieve adaptation. In Taiwan, despite the incidence of CABG is increasing in both men and women, research on post-CABG adaptation is very limited and no research focuses on outcomes for women. This can lead to problems for health care providers who lack effective interventions to help theses patients. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between coping, anxiety, and quality of life in Taiwanese post-CABG patients. A cross-section correlated design was used and 50 female and 50 male patients were sampled. A post-hoc analysis was employed to understand whether the patients understood the words used in the instruments and to provide more depth to the findings,semi structured interviews with three male and three female participants were conducted.

In the present study, ways of coping, anxiety, and quality of life interacted and influenced each other. Post-CABG patients who were male, had more role responsibility, experienced lower levels of anxiety, and used problem-focused coping and, as a result, were more likely to obtain a better quality of life. Anxiety was a good predictor of adaptation outcome and was negatively associated with problem-focused coping. Additionally, mental health predicted greater use of problem-focused coping.

According to the semi-structured interview results, the quantitative findings are valid and reliable. Men still adapted better than the women; both men and women were concerned about their physical recovery following CABG; and men tended to make plans to take control over their health while women tended to seek help to overcome their stress. The semi-structured interviews provided richness to the study that could not have been captured by the quantitative findings alone.

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