Stress and its Risk Factors in Acute Myocardial Infarction: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: The current study was performed to examine the prevalence rate of perceived psychological stress in patients diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction in an Iraqi sample population. In addition, the predictors of stress in this group of patients were determined through the statistical analysis. Methods: In the current cross-sectional study, a total of 50 patients were diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction (MI) and admitted to the coronary care unit were recruited purposively. The diagnosis of MI was established according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. The stress level of patients was measured by Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), a structured scale anchored on a 5-point Likert scale; low stress (PSS: 0-14), moderate stress (PSS: 15-26), and high stress (PSS: 27-40). Results: The mean age of 50 patients who were recruited in the present study was 60.52 years (SD: 12.16, Range: 29-86). The majority of the patients were recognized to have a moderate or severe level of stress (76%). The patients with lack or a lower level of education and live in rural areas had significantly a higher level of stress. The statistical calculations did not show any predictor for the stress in patients with myocardial infarction. Conclusions: The level of stress in the study sample was very high requiring a special stress management strategies for these types of patients.