The Relationship Between Quality of Life and Mental Health in Patients with Heart Failure

In all cases, Heart Failure (HF) affects the mental health and consequently the QoL of patients to a varying extent. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between QoL and mental health in HF patients at teaching hospitals in Ahvaz. The present descriptive-analytical study was performed on 220 patients admitted to the cardiac ward of Golestan Hospital in Ahvaz during 2020. Sampling was not performed due to the limited statistical population. Data was collected using a 36-item QoL and mental health questionnaire after determining their validity and reliability. The data was analyzed by SPSS 22 software using analysis of variance, t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficient at a significance level of 0.05. Men and women were significantly different in dimensions of general health and physical pain, with women having a lower QoL in these two subscales (P < 0.05). However, QoL in women was significantly higher than in men in dimensions of mental problems and mental health (P < 0.05). There were also significant differences between men and women in dimensions of depression and anxiety, with women showing lower mental health in both dimensions (P < 0.05). QoL and mental health problems in HF patients necessitate conducting qualitative research on ways to improve QoL and mental health of these patients. Besides, comparative studies on these patients are necessary before and after implementing nursing models to care for and support HF patients.