Depression and quality of life among heart failure patients in Georgia, Eastern Europe

The goal of the study was to assess longitudinal changes in quality of life among patients who screened positive for depression and patients who did not enroll in an outpatient heart failure disease management program (HFDMP). Patients with an ejection fraction ≤40% and clinical signs and symptoms of heart failure were enrolled over 11 months from August 2007 to July 2008. Study participants (n=314) were divided at baseline into "depressed" (9-Question Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9] ≥10) and "nondepressed" (PHQ-9 <10) groups. The two cohort groups had quality of life assessed by the Minnesota Living With Heart Failure Questionnaire at baseline and at 1 year while enrolled in the HFDMP. Both groups showed improved quality of life scores, with the depressed group experiencing a greater mean score decrease (14.4 vs 10.8 for nondepressed patients; P<.01). Both patients who screened positive for depression and those who did not enroll in an HFDMP improved their quality of life scores, with depressed patients experiencing a statistically significant greater mean score reduction (better quality of life).