Anxiety-depressive spectrum disorders in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in the long term after surgery

Highlights The article presents the analysis of anxiety and depressive disorders in patients who were followed as outpatients after surgery for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in the long term, taking into account the study during the COVID–19 pandemic. The prevalence of clinically pronounced anxiety disorders in the group was 10.9%, depression - 18.6%, a combination of anxiety-depressive disorders was noted in 10.3% of cases. Multifactorial analysis revealed that the development of severe anxiety disorders in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in the long term is associated with a complicated postoperative course. Independent risk factors for clinically pronounced depressive disorders in these patients were older age, a history of cerebral circulation disorders, as well as pronounced post-COVID-19 functional disorders. Aim. To study the frequency and severity of anxiety-depressive disorders in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) in the long term after pulmonary thromboendarterectomy and to identify factors affecting their development. Methods. 156 patients with CTEPH were examined in the long term after surgery using the generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) questionnaire GAD-7 and the Beck`s Depression Inventory. In patients who suffered COVID-19, a “Post-COVID-19 Functional Status scale” (PCFS) was used to measure functional status over time after COVID-19. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify predictors of clinically pronounced GAD and depression in the long-term period after surgery. Results. In patients with CTEPH, clinically significant GAD and depression in the long term after surgery were observed in 10.9 and 18.6% of cases, respectively. A combination of anxiety and depressive disorders was noted in 10.3% of patients. The development of GAD was associated with cardiopulmonary insufficiency in the early postoperative period (ОR 3,1; CI 1,2–13,8; p = 0,009). Clinically pronounced depression was associated with older age (ОR 1,3; CI 1,04–2,0; p = 0,02), chronic cerebral circulatory insufficiency (ОR 7,6; CI 1,8–17,5; p = 0,02) and pronounced post-COVID-19 functional neurological disorders according to the PCFS scale (ОR 6,7; CI 1,9–14,5; p = 0,007). The combination of clinically expressed anxiety and depression was correlated with older age (ОR 1,1; CI 1,02–1,3; p = 0,04). Conclusion. The prevalence of clinically pronounced GAD in the group was 10.9%, depression was 18.6%, and a combination of anxiety and depressive disorders was noted in 10.3% of patients. The development of clinically significant GAD is associated with a complicated course of cardiac surgery. Independent risk factors for clinically significant depression were older age, a history of cerebral circulatory disorders and pronounced post-COVID-19 functional neurological disorders.