Explanation of health anxiety in patients following open heart surgery: a qualitative study

Health anxiety is one of the most prevalent psychological reactions observed in patients after open heart surgery.Thus, the present study was conducted to explain health anxiety in these patients.

In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 patients with a history of open heart surgery in educationalhospitals affiliated to Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in 2023-2024. The interviews were immediately transcribed andunderwent conventional content analysis. MAXQDA 2022 software was used for data categorization and data were also analyzedusing the method proposed by Lundman and Graneheim.

According to the current study results, open heart surgery can lead to health anxiety among patients. This anxiety appearsas mental turmoil, ineffective psychological reactions to the disease, pathological search for information and treatment, and theincidence of mood disorders.

The results of the present research demonstrate that open heart surgery is a stressor and patients develop healthanxiety after surgery. Hence, it is suggested that hospitals pay attention to patients’ health anxiety in their educational programs,consultations, and rehabilitation programs and design and implement influential psychological interventions in the form ofstandard protocols to be used at the level of hospitals and cardiac rehabilitation centers.