The impact of family support program on depression, anxiety, stress, and satisfaction in the family members of open-heart surgery patients

Abstract

Context: Because family members of cardiac surgery patients play a significant role in the patient's recovery, it is important to address their needs during hospitalization and after discharge. Aims: We aimed to investigate the impact of family support program on depression, anxiety, stress, and satisfaction in the open-heart surgery patients' family members. Setting and Design: This is a randomized clinical trial with two intervention and control groups. The study was conducted at the Teaching Hospital Heart Center in Sari, Iran. Materials and Methods: Ninety family members participated in this randomized controlled study, who were divided into an intervention group receiving support program from a research team and a control group receiving routine care. Statistical Analysis: In this study, Shapiro-Wilk, Mann-Whitney U, Friedman, and Chi-square test were used. Results: The family members in both groups had significantly lower depression, stress, and anxiety at 24 h before and 14 days after discharge. The total score of depression, stress, and anxiety statistically significantly improved in the intervention group compared to the control group. However, their satisfaction of nursing care increased (P < 0.001). Conclusions: This study () revealed that significant effects with regard to reduced feelings of depression, stress, and anxiety also improved the family members' satisfaction in the intervention group.