Effect of Psychological Nursing on the Mental State and Quality of Life of Patients After Heart Valve Replacement for Rheumatic Heart Disease

Abstract

Objective: To explore the effect of psychological nursing on the mental state and quality of life of patients after heart valve replacement for rheumatic heart disease. Methods: Seventy-four patients with rheumatic heart disease that underwent heart valve replacement in Zhenjiang First People’s Hospital from January 2017 to May 2020 were selected as the research subjects. Thirty-seven patients that were treated from January 2017 to September 2018 were included in the control group. Routine care was provided for the patients in the control group. From October 2018 to May 2020, the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery improved their preoperative and postoperative psychological care. Thirty-seven patients that were treated during this period were included in the research group. The research group received psychological nursing care in addition to routine care. The effects of different nursing modes on the quality of life and postoperative mental state of the patients were determined. Results: The scores for depression, anxiety, somatization, and compulsion in the research group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p < 0.05); the scores for the quality of life of patients in the research group were significantly higher than those in the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Strengthening psychological nursing for patients with rheumatic heart disease is helpful to improve their quality of life and mental state after heart valve replacement.