Effect of psychosocial aspects on medication adherence in patients with heart failure amid socioeconomic challenges

Objective To evaluate stress, depression and quality of life among community-dwelling patients with heart failure (HF) and evaluate their effect on perceived medication adherence in a socioeconomically challenged setting.Design A cross-sectional design with self-administered questionnaire with data collected between October 2021 and September 2022.Methods Patients with confirmed diagnosis of HF were sought for data collection in the community and cardiology clinics through an electronic platform. Confirmation of cases was done through the ejection fraction, medication list and frequent symptoms of the patients. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the COVID-19 Stress Scale, the Minnesota Living with HF Questionnaire and the Lebanese Medication Adherence Scale were used to evaluate depression, stress, quality of life and medication adherence, respectively. Univariate analysis was done to present the descriptive statistics, whereas bivariate and multivariate analyses were done to evaluate the relationship between the variables.Results A total of 237 participants were included in the final analysis. The mean age was 61.3 +/- 17.36 years, and the majority (57.8%) were male participants. Only 44.7% were on ACE inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers and 54.9% on beta-blockers. The mean scores for stress, depression, quality of life and medication adherence were 75.86 (SD=24.5), 14.03 (SD=5.7), 55.73 (SD=23.05) and 6.79 (SD=6.93), respectively, indicating high stress levels, depression, poor quality of life and medication adherence. Those with a history of hypertension and depression were significantly more adherent to their medications than those who were not. Multivariate analysis showed that anxiety, medical follow-up, quality of life and functionality class were predictors of medication adherence.Conclusion The study showed the population with HF in Lebanon to have psychological health problems with these variables acting as predictors for medication adherence. Sociodemographic characteristics also played a role on the outcome, which can be targeted when planning interventions to improve outcomes. Future studies should compare prescribed medication with consumed medication through longitudinal approaches and medical refilling techniques when possible.