Identifying effective strategies for overcoming anxiety developed in long-term heart disease patients and recommendations for implementation within a Saudi context

Abstract

The present study is a systematic review that aims at identifying strategies for overcoming anxiety developed during long-term heart diseases in patients. The study highlights the importance of identifying such strategies, as it demonstrates the prevalence of anxiety among long-term heart disease patients as well as its significant negative impact on the patients’ health in the literature review. The study therefore evaluates strategies that can help minimise or overcome anxiety levels among these patients. The systemic review in this study is conducted through mixed methods, as the review includes both qualitative and quantitative studies. The review appraised a total of six studies published after 2010 in the databases MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsycINFO. These studies were chosen after application of the eligibility criteria. Through analysis of the selected studies, the study was able to identify the effectiveness of a variety of intervention methods employed to help long term heart disease patients minimise or overcome anxiety. The study found that cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most widely used intervention strategies employed to reduce anxiety among heart disease patients. In addition to this therapy, behavioral strategies, psychographic strategies and emotional strategies were additionally found to be effective in reducing anxiety among heart disease patients. Critical discussion of these findings in the context of Saudi Arabia demonstrated the effectiveness of these strategies, influenced by the individual mindset, behaviour and emotions, were found to be dependent on social factors, cultural factors, economic and the political factors. The results were therefore analysed within a framework of the micro, macro and meso system approach by Bronfenbrenner (1977) and considered for application in the context of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Further, this review identified the need of designing and implementing intervention practices at individual level within the context of the patients’ meso system and macro system, as support from within these systems plays a significant role. Based on the analysis, the study further makes recommendations for implementation of effective strategies to overcome anxiety among long-term heart disease patients in the context of Saudi Arabia, thereby considering its sociocultural and political context. Keywords: Anxiety, heart disease patient, cardiac patient, cognitive behavior therapy, psychological interventions.