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Persistent depressive symptoms and pain after cardiac surgery
Lynn V Doering1, Belinda Chen, Anthony McGuire
1From the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Nursing (L.V.D., B.C.), Los Angeles, California; University of California, Long Beach, School of Nursing (A.M.), Long Beach, California; California State University, Fullerton, School of Nursing (R.C.B.), Fullerton, California; and Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology (M.R.I.), UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience, and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.
Persistent depressive symptoms after cardiac surgery are linked to ongoing pain. Screening for depression is crucial for effective pain management post-discharge.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychiatry
- Pain Management
Background:
- Cardiac surgery patients often experience post-operative symptoms.
- Understanding the interplay between depression and pain is critical for recovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe depressive symptom and pain trajectories post-cardiac surgery.
- To examine the association between persistent depressive symptoms and pain outcomes.
Main Methods:
- 251 cardiac surgery patients completed Beck Depression Inventory and Brief Pain Inventory at discharge and 6 weeks.
- Patients were grouped by persistent depressive symptoms (BDI score >10).
- Repeated-measures ANOVA and linear regressions analyzed pain interference/severity and depression changes.
Main Results:
- 16.3% had persistent depressive symptoms; 15.3% had worsening symptoms.
- Persistent depressive symptoms were associated with higher pain interference (p < .001) and severity (p < .003).
- Changes in depressive symptoms, not demographics, predicted pain outcomes (p < .001).
Conclusions:
- Persistent depressive symptoms are an independent predictor of continued pain up to 6 weeks post-discharge.
- Screening for depression and initiating treatment are recommended for managing post-cardiac surgery pain.
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