Association of psychological distress with reasons for delay in seeking medical care in rural patients with worsening heart failure symptoms.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The impact of depressive symptoms and anxiety on rural patients' decisions to seek care for worsening heart failure (HF) symptoms remains unknown. The purposes of this study were (1) to describe rural patients' reasons for delay in seeking care for HF, and (2) to determine whether depressive symptoms or anxiety was associated with patients' reasons for delay in seeking medical care for worsening symptoms.

Methods

A total of 611 rural HF patients were included. Data on reasons for patient delay in seeking medical care (The Reasons for Delay Questionnaire), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), and anxiety (BSI-ANX) were collected. Statistical analyses included chi-square and multiple regression.

Results

A total of 85.4% of patients reported at least 1 reason for dela

SUBMITTER: Lin CY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10106011 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature