Mental Distress and Wish for Psychosomatic Treatment of Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension

Background: The study investigated the level of mental distress in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and assessed the use of and the wish for psychosomatic treatment. Methods: A total sample of n = 187 outpatients participated in the cross-sectional survey. The short form of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-D), the EuroQol (EQ-5D) and a questionnaire assessing the wish for psychosomatic treatment were applied. Results: 50.6% of the patients exhibited depressive symptoms of varying degrees, 19.2% showed symptoms of major depression. 14.8% of the patients reported panic attacks, and 7.1% demonstrated symptoms of a panic syndrome. Quality of life was low (EQ-5D VAS M = 60). Experience with outpatient or inpatient psychotherapy was reported by 23.4% and 8.6% of the patients, respectively. 56.5% reported a wish for psychosomatic treatment. Conclusions: PH-Patients are more likely to suffer from mild or subthreshold depressive syndromes, but are very interested in psychosomatic treatment. The implementation of psychosomatic interventions into clinical practice would be desirable.