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Depression in patients with heart failure

Cheryl Westlake1, Kathleen Dracup, Gregg Fonarow

  • 1California State University, Fullerton, California, USA.

Journal of Cardiac Failure
|February 11, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Depression is common in heart failure patients. Interventions targeting perceived control and neuroticism may help reduce depression in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Psychiatry
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Psychological comorbidities, especially depression, frequently complicate heart failure management.
  • Understanding the prevalence and correlates of depression in heart failure patients is crucial for effective clinical care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of depression among heart failure patients.
  • To identify differences between patients with minimal versus mild to severe depression.
  • To explore the factors associated with depression in this patient group.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 200 heart failure patients with systolic dysfunction was assessed.
  • Psychological evaluations included assessments of depression, perceived control, neuroticism, educational needs, and social support.
  • Clinical data included New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, ejection fraction, maximal oxygen uptake, and 6-minute walk distance.

Main Results:

  • Over half of the patients (52.5%) reported minimal depression; 47.5% reported mild to severe depression.
  • Significant differences between minimal and mild-to-severe depression groups included NYHA class, maximal oxygen uptake, 6-minute walk distance, beta-blocker use, perceived control, and neuroticism.
  • Physical and psychosocial variables explained 48.6% of the variance in depression among patients experiencing it.

Conclusions:

  • While over half of the studied heart failure patients did not report significant depression, a substantial portion did.
  • Physical and psychosocial factors are significantly associated with depression in heart failure.
  • Interventions focused on enhancing perceived control, reducing neuroticism, and addressing educational needs may be beneficial for reducing depression in heart failure patients.
Abstract

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