The influences of psychosocial aspects and anxiety symptoms on quality of life of patients with arrhythmia: investigation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feature of the psychosocial aspects of patients with atrial fibrillation and to explore the influences of the subjective symptoms of attack, perceived psychosocial inducers of attack, and anxiety on the quality of life (QOL). The participants were 240 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (57.89 +/- 13.78 years old), who were requested to complete questionnaires on the subjective symptoms of attack, perceived psychosocial inducers of attack, anxiety symptoms, and QOL. The results of this study showed that 29.5% patients met the criteria of agoraphobia of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed. [DSM-IV]; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). This percentage of prevalence was higher than the general prevalence of DSM-IV data. The subjective symptoms of attack (frequency, duration, and distress of attack) intensify their fear of attack and agoraphobic symptoms, which worsen their QOL. Psychological stress is the main perceived inducer in daily life, and a attack induced by psychological stress affects their anxiety symptoms and QOL.