Intimate partner physical and mental health after sudden cardiac arrest and receipt of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.

The purpose of this study was to describe the physical and mental health of the intimate partners of persons receiving an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). A prospective longitudinal repeated measures design was used, with data collected at hospital discharge, and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after implantation. Intimate partners' physical health, symptoms, and depression significantly declined over the first year. Although anxiety was significantly reduced over time, it remained elevated in partners after 1 year. The impact of implantation of the ICD on the intimate relationship and care demands was most dramatic at hospital discharge. Health care use was low throughout the year. Intimate partners could benefit from an intervention that would assist in their psychological adjustment and provide strategies for dealing with caregiving demands at home. Copyright 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.