Abstract
It has been reported that ventricular assisting device (VAS) can work efficiently, in terms of physical aspect, in patients with severely impaired cardiac function. In contrast, however, treatments for psychological depression in the candidates to be submitted to this kind of circulatory support have yet to be established. Psychological status and mental depression were evaluated in 2 patients undergoing bridge use of VAS to heart transplantation. Mental status was investigated using the egogram method proposed by the group the University of Tokyo, and anxiety of the patients was digitised by STAI technique. In addition, SDS was used for objectivelynoting a change in depression, which can be an indicator of mental health. It proved that each anxiety in these patients was treated within themselves by taking a pattern of behaviour character-istically seen in a certain mental tatus against the anxiety potentially present. It is recommended, therefore, that mental status is to be investigated in candidates for VAS, and that the hidden anxiety should be objectively noted so as to establish the optimal psychological treatment after initiation of VAS for circulatory support
