Adherence to Treatment and Its Relationship with Anxiety and Depression in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease

Article type: Original article Background and Aim: Adherence to treatment is of utmost importance for the management of patients with cardiovascular disease. The present study aimed to determine the degree of adherence to treatment and its relationship with anxiety and depression in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with cardiovascular disease admitted to teaching hospitals in Qom, Iran in 2016. One hundred sixteen patients who met the inclusion criteria were selected via the convenience sampling method. Data collection instruments included demographic information form, Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale, as well as Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The data were analyzed in SPSS software using descriptive tests and linear regression analysis. Results: Based on the obtained results, about half of the patients (49.1%) scored lower than average in adherence to treatment. The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that among the variables included in the univariate model (P<0.15), depression (P=-0.26; β = 0.047) and body mass index (BMI) (P=0.22; β = 0.26) were significantly correlated with treatment adherence. Conclusion: As evidenced by the results of the current study, patients' adherence to a medication regimen was associated with depression and BMI. Psychological problems, especially depression, deserve assiduous attention as important determinants of treatment adherence. Article History: Received: 17 January 2021 Revised: 23 February 2021 Accepted: 23 February 2021