Abstract
BACKGROUND: Coronary heart disease (CHD) has shown a consistent upward trend in global incidence in recent years. Notably, older adults with CHD complicated by arrhythmia exhibit significantly higher susceptibility to psychological distress compared with the general CHD population. This increased vulnerability has garnered growing clinical and research interest in the potential therapeutic benefits of structured psychological interventions for alleviating comorbid depressive and anxiety symptoms in this high-risk demographic. AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of psychological care in reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms among older adult patients with CHD and comorbid arrhythmia. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included 100 patients with CHD and arrhythmia admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University from June 2024 to December 2024. Of these, 49 patients in the control group received routine care, whereas 51 patients in the observation group received psychological care in addition to routine care. Therapeutic outcomes were compared between the two groups. Psychological distress was assessed before and after providing nursing care. A treatment compliance scale developed by the hospital was used to assess adherence. Complication rates were also compared. Quality of life was evaluated using the Short Form-36 Health Survey after providing nursing care. Patient satisfaction with nursing care was assessed using a self-designed questionnaire. RESULTS: The observation group demonstrated a higher overall treatment effectiveness compared with the control group (P < 0.05). After nursing care, both groups showed reduced scores on the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Self-Rating Depression Scale compared with baseline (P < 0.05), with significantly greater improvements in the observation group (P < 0.05). Treatment compliance was higher and complication rates were lower in the observation group (P < 0.05). Additionally, the observation group demonstrated better quality of life after 1 month of care and higher satisfaction with nursing services (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Psychological care for patients with CHD and comorbid arrhythmia effectively enhanced therapeutic outcomes, reduced anxiety and depression, improved treatment compliance and quality of life, and lowered the risk of complications. These findings support the broader implementation of psychological care for patients with CHD in clinical practice.