Psychosocial predictors 2

Cardiopulmonary health problems affect millions of Americans each year. There is evidence to believe that psychosocial variables influence health outcomes for these patients. It was hypothesized that cardiopulmonary patients with high levels of depression, anxiety, anger, emotional guardedness, and low levels of social support would be more likely to be deceased approximately two years following rehabilitation. Psychosocial variables were assessed in a sample of 51 patients participating in a cardiopulmonary rehabilitation program. Patients completed rehabilitation and were contacted approximately two years later to follow up on their cardiopulmonary health. Contrary to the hypothesis, statistical analyses revealed that the patients who were deceased had reported significantly lower levels of depression during rehabilitation than those patients who lived. Anxiety, anger, and social support were significantly related to reports of cardiovascular morbidity at follow-up. The results of this study suggest that further evaluation of psychosocial variables may help health care professionals better understand and treat patients with cardiopulmonary diseases. Psychosocial predictors 3 Psychosocial Predictors of Cardiopulmonary Mortality and Morbidity Cardiovascular and pulmonary disease are two major causes of death in the United States and globally. In the US alone, over 12 million people suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD; National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, 2007) and nearly 700,000 people die from heart disease in the US each year (Centers for Disease Control, 2007). Both cardiovascular disease and COPD are chronic and disabling conditions that affect millions of patients and their caregivers. Although both conditions are chronic, there is research to suggest that psychological and social variables affect outcomes for patients with cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. Risk factors for cardiopulmonary disease and the effects of psychosocial variables on health-related outcomes are reviewed below