Perceived social support mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and depression/anxiety in patients with cardiovascular disease

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the psychological characteristics of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD), focusing on perceived social support, self-efficacy, and emotional symptoms such as depression and anxiety. Additionally, we investigated whether perceived social support mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and these mood disorders. This cross-sectional survey involved 1,144 CVD patients drawn from the 2021 China Family Health Index Survey Report. Participants completed standardized measures including a Demographic Inventory, the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), the New General Self-Efficacy Scale (NGSES), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Nonparametric analyses, chi-square tests, linear regression, and mediation analyses using the PROCESS macro were performed. Among Chinese CVD patients, depression and anxiety prevalence were 19.6% and 47.1%, respectively. Median scores were 60 (IQR 50–69) for perceived social support and 29 (IQR 24–32) for self-efficacy. Regression analyses showed significant negative associations between perceived social support and depression (β=-0.092, p < 0.001) and anxiety (β=-0.075, p < 0.001). Mediation models indicated associated with emotional disturbances via support perception (indirect effects: depression=-0.113, anxiety=-0.092). These findings highlight the potential relevance of psychosocial resources in managing emotional well-being among CVD patients and suggest that perceived social support may be an important target for forthcoming psychosocial interventions. However, due to the cross-sectional design, causal reasoning is avoided, and longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these associations.