Care needs, social support and meaning in life in patients after acute heart failure hospitalisation: a longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND Meaning in life serves as a protective mechanism for coping with persistent, often distressful symptoms in patients with heart failure. However, meaning in life and its associated factors are not adequately explored in patients after acute hospitalisation for heart failure. AIMS To explore the associated factors of meaning in life in patients with heart failure from acute hospitalisation to 3 months post-discharge. METHODS A total of 103 hospitalised patients with heart failure in Northern Taiwan were recruited using a longitudinal study design and interviewed with structured questionnaires including meaning in life, symptom distress, care needs, and social support at hospitalisation, 1 month and 3 months post-discharge. RESULTS A total of 83 patients completed the 3 months follow-up. The presence of meaning in life significantly increased from hospitalisation to 3 months post-discharge. Decreases in care needs (B=-0.10, P=0.020) and social support (B=-0.18, P=0.016) from hospitalisation to 3 months post-discharge were significantly associated with an increase in the presence of meaning in life, while a decrease in social support was associated with an increase in the search for meaning in life (B=-0.17, P=0.034). CONCLUSION Care needs and social support were pivotal factors for developing meaning in life for patients with heart failure. Assessments of care needs and social support might help strengthen their meaning in life.