Differential Effects of Faith-Based Coping on Physical and Mental Fatigue in Middle-Aged and Older Cardiac Patients

Abstract

Purpose: This analysis investigated the effect of faith-based coping used by cardiac patients undergoing surgery on physical and mental fatigue, symptoms which have significant prognostic implications for mortality. Particularly, we explored whether this faith effect is independent or explained by positive mediators. Methods: Two weeks preoperatively, 481 patients (male, 58%; mean age=62 years) were recruited for three sequential interviews. Among them, 426 completed the second interview, and 335 completed the post-operative follow-up. Cross-clamp and bypass time were obtained from patients' charts. Plasma interlukin-6 (IL-6) was used as a correlate of age-associated diseases and frailty. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that pre-operative positive religious coping styles and optimism contributed to reduced physical fatigue, controlling for post-operatively confirmed prayer coping and such covariates as severe injury. Depression and lower-back problems contributed to mental fatigue. No potential mediators explained these effects. Conclusion: Faith-based coping and optimism are independent predictors of physical fatigue.