Coronary disease & ACS

Sex Differences in Psychological Distress of Patients With Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD): The MINDSET Study

Circ Popul Health OutcomesPublished cross-sectional study

Authors' conclusion

Both women and men experience clinically significant cardiac anxiety following SCAD, but women report a greater psychological burden, including more preexisting mental health conditions and twice the distress after SCAD. These results underscore the importance of routine psychological screening and timely intervention to support mental health and recovery outcomes, particularly among women.

Study context

Population
Adult patients diagnosed with SCAD within the past 3 years, confirmed by coronary angiography92.9% women, mean age=53.3±11.1 years
Participants
326 patients
Exposure
Sex differences in the psychological distress of patients with SCAD
Outcome
Preexisting mental health conditions
Follow-up
Pre-SCAD
Methodological details6 Canadian hospitals
  • 6 Canadian hospitals

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

P = 0.035

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

Clinically significant symptoms

Depression

Anxiety

Cardiac anxiety

Posttraumatic stress

Mean scores on Patient-Health-Questionnaire-9, Cardiac-Anxiety-Questionnaire, and PTSD Checklist-5 · Post-SCAD

Women reported higher mean scores than men
all P <0.05

Depressive, cardiac anxiety and posttraumatic stress symptoms (female sex, adjusted)

Depressive B
B=2.94; P =0.010
Cardiac anxiety B
B=7.09; P =0.008
Posttraumatic stress B
B=5.94; P =0.048
  • Adjusted for age, pre-SCAD mental health diagnosis, and employment status

Original publication

Sex Differences in Psychological Distress of Patients With Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD): The MINDSET Study. Circ Popul Health Outcomes. Published 13 January 2026. doi:10.1161/circoutcomes.125.012626

Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →

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