Introduction:
We sought to identify correlates with psychological symptoms in long-term cardiac arrest (CA) survivors. Mindfulness, or nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment, is a modifiable protective factor against psychological symptoms in various clinical populations and could be a potential treatment target for CA survivors.
Methods:
We conducted a longitudinal survey study between 10-11/2019 (baseline) and 10-11/2020 (1-year follow-up) with long-term CA survivor members of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation. We collected demographic and CA characteristics at baseline. At both timepoints, we assessed posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTS) through the PTSD Checklist-5 (PCL-5) and depression and anxiety symptoms through the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4). At follow-up, we assessed mindfulness through the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised (CAMS-R). We used adjusted linear regression to predict 1-year PCL-5 and PHQ-4 scores, with particular consideration of the CAMS-R as a cross-sectional correlate of outcome.
Results:
We included 129 CA survivors (mean age: 52 years, 52% male, 98% white). At 1-year follow-up, in adjusted models, CAMS-R (β: -0.35, p <0.001) and baseline PCL-5 scores (β: 0.56, p <0.001) were associated with 1-year PCL-5 scores. CAMS-R (β: -0.34, p <0.001) and baseline PHQ-4 scores were associated with 1-year PHQ-4 scores (β: 0.37, p<0.001).
Conclusion:
Mindfulness was inversely associated with psychological symptoms in long-term CA survivors. Future studies should examine the longitudinal relationship of mindfulness and psychological symptoms after CA.
Long‐term electro‐clinical profile of sudden cardiac arrest survivors
