Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
Association Between Sleep Quality and Cognitive Symptoms in Patients with Major Depressive Disorder
Published on: April 26, 2024
Sociodemographic factors and depressive symptoms in hospitalized patients with heart failure
Felipe Montes Pena1, Jamil da Silva Soares, Beatriz Tose Costa Paiva
1Department of Clinical Cardiology;
Insights
Depression is common in hospitalized heart failure patients. Higher severity heart failure (HF) and certain social factors are linked to increased depressive symptoms (DS).
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) is a chronic condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality.
- Depressive symptoms (DS) are frequently observed in HF patients, impacting quality of life and treatment adherence.
- Understanding the factors associated with DS in HF is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in a sample of hospitalized heart failure patients.
- To identify differences in depressive symptoms based on sociodemographic and clinical variables, including HF severity.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive, cross-sectional study design was employed.
- Depressive symptoms were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory.
- Heart failure severity was assessed using the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification system. Sociodemographic data and clinical variables were collected and analyzed using Student's t test.
Main Results:
- The study included 103 hospitalized heart failure patients (mean age 65.4 years; 63.1% women).
- Patients with NYHA class IV heart failure reported significantly more depressive symptoms than those in NYHA class II or III.
- Depressive symptoms showed significant differences related to age, marital status, habitation, and living arrangement.
Conclusions:
- Depression is a common and treatable comorbidity in hospitalized heart failure patients.
- Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of depressive symptoms are essential for comprehensive HF management.
- Effective management of depression in HF may contribute to reduced healthcare costs.
Objective:
To determine the differences in depressive symptoms (DS) among a sample of patients hospitalized with heart failure (HF).
Design:
A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used.
Methods:
The Beck Depression Inventory was used to measure DS, and HF severity was assessed using the New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification system. The sociodemographic and clinical variables examined include age, sex, education, marital status, fixed monthly income, habitation, living arrangement and HF severity. The differences between the presence and absence of the variables were evaluated using the Student's t test.
Results:
The sample included 103 patients with a mean age of 65.4 years: 38 (36.9%) were men and 65 (63.1%) were women. Forty-three patients (41.7%) were in NYHA class III, and approximately one-half of the patient sample (49.5%) were married. Patients with NYHA class IV HF had significantly more DS than patients with NYHA class II or III. Age was correlated with scores of DS (P=0.002). There were significant differences in DS among the variables of marital status, habitation and living arrangement.
Conclusions:
Depression is a common and treatable clinical finding in hospitalized patients, requiring an early diagnosis and appropriate treatment for effective management. The implementation and monitoring of treatment are necessary to reduce the costs of treatment of HF.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
01:26Heart Failure III: Clinical Manifestations
01:30Heart Failure VII: Nursing Interventions
01:27Heart Failure I: Introduction
01:17Pathophysiology of Heart Failure
01:30Heart Failure IV: Classification and Diagnostic Evaluation