Depression assessed over 1-year survival in patients with myocardial infarction

To estimate the prevalence of ICD-10 depression using a self-reported questionnaire and to examine if depression is associated with increased 1-year mortality in patients with myocardial infarction (MI).

In total, 763 MI-patients completed the Major Depression Inventory at discharge. Information from hospital notes was collected and patients were followed 1 year for re-admission and mortality through national registries.

Seventy-three patients (9.6%) were depressed at discharge. Depression was not a significant independent predictor of mortality; however, there was a significant trend for increasing mortality with increasing severity of the depressive state (P = 0.028). All mortality among depressed patients was in patients with non-Q-wave infarction.

Ten per cent of MI-patients fulfilled diagnostic criteria for depression at discharge. There was a significant trend for increasing mortality with increasing severity of the depressive episode. All mortality among depressed patients was seen in patients with non-Q-wave infarction. These findings indicate future studies in selected subgroups of MI-patients.