Psychosocial Factors in Chronic Wound Patients

Background/Objective: Chronic wound (CW) represents a major burden on the individual patients who are typically challenged with many underlying health related complications. Stress is now recognized as universal premorbid factor associated risk factors of various chronic diseases. This study utilized socio-demographic data CW and analyzed it against salivary cortisol, known marker psychosocial stress.
 Methods: were recruited under IRB approved protocol Indiana University (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier# NCT03793062). Morning saliva samples from 11 (56.4±2.8 years). The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) assessment used screening tools well measures symptom severity for depression different types anxiety (GAD-7). Human cortisol was measured by ELISA.
 Results: concentration follows: those minimal (PHQ-9 score ≤4) had 2.2±0.5 ng/mL; affected moderate severe >4) showed 1.3±0.3 (GAD-7 1.8±0.5 mild to 1.6±0.3 ng/mL. Comparison across race that African American higher (2.8±0.5 ng/mL) levels compared white (1.5±0.3 ng/mL).
 Conclusion Impact: These preliminary results indicated although scales do not seem increase likely subject stress Caucasian patients. larger sample size warranted.