Abstract:
This correlational research study aims to investigate the predictiblity of the severity of disease, depression symptoms, and social support in regards to the quality of sleep in patients with heart failure. The Unpleasant Symptom theory of Lenz et al. (1997) is used as the conceptual framework of this study. The study sample consisted of 77 patients with heart failure who followed up at the cardiac unit and medicinal unit in the outpatient department at a tertiary hospital in Bangkok between May and July 2013. Data were collected by means of the personal data questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Index, the Revised- Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the Thai Depression Inventory; severity of depression questionnaire. Data analysis was conducted in terms of descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. The study findings revealed that the subjects ranged in age from 28 to 89 years old (x̅ = 64.12, SD = 12.90). More than half, or 55.8%, were female. The mean of overall quality of sleep showed a poor level (x̅ = 6.28, SD = 4.51). Most of the subjects, or 88.3%, did not suffer from depression, and their social support was at a moderate level. It was also found that the severity of disease, depressive symptoms, and social support could co-predict variance in the quality of sleep of patients with heart failure by 65.2% (R2 = 0.652, p < 0.001). Also, depressive symptoms were the only variable that could predict quality of sleep of patients with heart failure with statistical significance (β = 0.731, p < 0.001). Based on the study findings, it is recommended that nurses should assess the depressive symptoms in patients with heart failure and develop a plan with healthcare team members to manage such symptoms to prevent or reduce depression and promote the quality of sleep among patients with heart failure.