Coping styles associated with depression, health anxiety and health-related quality of life in pulmonary hypertension: cross-sectional analysis

Objectives: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a life-shortening disease associated with early mortality and high morbidity. With advancements in medical treatment, people are living longer with the disease, and research is now needed to explore variables that help to enhance patient-reported outcomes. This study investigated the coping strategies of individuals with PH and examined the relationship between coping, depression, health anxiety and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Design: A cross-sectional survey design was used. Participants: Participants (n=121) were recruited from membership of Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) UK. Outcome measures: Participants completed a series of questionnaires assessing depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), health anxiety (Short Health Anxiety Inventory), HRQoL (emPHasis-10) and coping (Brief COPE). A principal component analysis was used to identify participants’ coping profile. A series of correlational, linear and moderated multiple regression analyses were performed to examine the relationship between coping and health-related outcomes. Results: Overall, 43% participants met criteria for potential clinical depression. Depression and health anxiety were strongly associated with HRQoL, explaining 37% and 30% of variance respectively (p