Relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder and cardiac symptoms in people with acute coronary syndrome referred to selected hospitals of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences

Aim:

This study was designed to investigate the association of obsessive-compulsive disorder with cardiac symptoms in people with acute coronary syndrome.

Background:

The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and its morbidity and mortality has increased. The importance of psychological factors, especially anxiety disorders, in development of cardiovascular disease necessitates examining the relationship between obsessive-compulsive disorder and cardiac symptoms in people with acute coronary syndrome.

Method:

This is a cross-sectional descriptive correlational study. The statistical population included all cases of acute coronary syndrome referred to the selected hospitals of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran. In this study, 193 people with acute coronary syndrome were selected based on convenience sampling method. Data were collected using demographic information-disease questionnaire and OCI-R (Obsessive-Compulsory Revised Inventory). Data were analyzed in SPSS version 18 using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Findings:

The mean score of obsessive-compulsive disorder was not statistically significant between acute coronary syndrome patients with and without cardiac symptoms (29.64±20.00 vs 26.30±15.74, respectively). The mean score of obsessive-compulsive disorder in washing subtype was statistically significant between acute coronary syndrome patients with and without cardiac symptoms (6.82±4.12 vs 3.99±3.48, respectively) (P<0.05).

Conclusion:

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is not associated with cardiac symptoms in people with acute coronary syndrome except for washing subtype that the mean score of this subtype is more in acute coronary syndrome patients with cardiac symptoms than those without cardiac symptoms.