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The high prevalence of multiple psychiatric disorders in stable outpatients with coronary heart disease

Bettina Bankier1, James L Januzzi, Andrew B Littman

  • 1Behavioral Medicine Division of Preventive Cardiology, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, 50 Staniford Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02114, USA. bbankier@partners.org

Psychosomatic Medicine
|September 24, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Stable coronary heart disease (CHD) outpatients frequently have comorbid psychiatric disorders. This study found a broad spectrum of mental health conditions, highlighting the need for comprehensive evaluations in CHD care.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychiatry
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Coronary heart disease (CHD) patients often have comorbid psychiatric disorders.
  • Previous studies focused on single disorders or acutely ill patients.
  • No comprehensive psychiatric evaluation existed for stable CHD outpatients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a systematic psychiatric diagnostic evaluation in stable CHD outpatients.
  • To determine the prevalence and spectrum of psychiatric disorders in this population.

Main Methods:

  • One hundred stable CHD outpatients were recruited from a cardiology clinic.
  • Psychiatric diagnoses were established using the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV).

Main Results:

  • High rates of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses were observed.
  • Specific diagnoses included major depressive episode (31%), posttraumatic stress disorder (29%), and alcohol abuse (19%).
  • The average number of psychiatric disorders per patient was 1.7.

Conclusions:

  • Stable CHD outpatients exhibit a high prevalence and broad spectrum of psychiatric disorders.
  • Comprehensive psychiatric assessment is crucial for this patient group.
  • Larger epidemiological studies are required to confirm true prevalence rates.
Abstract

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