Psychosocial consequences in men taking part in a national screening program for abdominal aortic aneurysm.

Psychosocial consequences in men taking part in a national screening program for abdominal aortic aneurysm. J Vasc Nurs. 2017 Dec;35(4):211-220 Authors: Ericsson A, Holst J, Gottsäter A, Zarrouk M, Kumlien C Abstract Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) has proven to reduce AAA-related mortality, but how the knowledge of having an untreated AAA affects health and daily life requires further clarification. The aim was to investigate the psychosocial consequences and sense of coherence (SOC) in 65-year-old men diagnosed with AAA and participating in a national screening program during a 6-month follow-up compared with men with no AAA. The single-center cohort study included 52 men with AAA and 118 men without AAA. A questionnaire including the Short Form 36 Health Survey, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, SOC, questions concerning stress, and questions related to AAA were answered at baseline and after 6 months. Men with AAA reported more problems with physical functioning, pain, and general health than men with a normal aorta at baseline. After 6 months, men with AAA still reported more problems with physical functioning and stress in relation to disease than men with normal aortic diameter. No differences were observed between groups in SOC, anxiety, and depression. A significantly higher satisfaction with information from the physician and desire to learn about the AAA diagnosis was reported at baseline compared with ...
Source: Pain Physician - Category: Anesthesiology Authors: Tags: J Vasc Nurs Source Type: research