Self-efficacy is crucial to the management of chronic disease. However, little is known about self-efficacy for managing chronic disease in patients with chronic heart failure. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of inadequate self-efficacy for managing chronic disease and to identify the associated psychosocial factors in Chinese patients with chronic heart failure. A cross-sectional design was used. One hundred and fifty-nine chronic heart failure patients (mean age 63 years, 53% female) completed instruments related to self-efficacy for managing chronic disease, general self-efficacy, anxiety and depression, perceived social support, and demographic/clinical variables. Of 159 patients, 46 patients (29%) had inadequate self-efficacy for managing chronic disease (the mean score on the Self-efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease Six-Item Scale (SECD6) was<7). The scores for general self-efficacy and perceived social support were positively correlated with the mean SECD6 score (p<0.01), whereas the scores for anxiety and depression were negatively correlated with the mean SECD6 score (p<0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the factors associated with self-efficacy for managing chronic disease were general self-efficacy, depression and perceived social support, and three factors accounted for 29% of the variance. In Chinese patients with chronic heart failure, the prevalence of inadequate self-efficacy for managing chronic disease is high; general self-efficacy, depression and perceived social support are independent factors associated with self-efficacy for managing chronic disease. The screening of patients' self-efficacy and the implementation of relevant interventions may be beneficial to the promotion of self-management.