Depressive symptoms and spiritual wellbeing in asymptomatic heart failure patients

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Psychiatry
• Psychology

Background:

• Depression negatively impacts prognosis in symptomatic heart failure.
• Spiritual wellness may act as a protective factor against depressive symptoms in certain populations.
• Heart failure patients often experience comorbidities like depression, fatigue, and sleep disturbances.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the associations among depressive symptoms, spiritual wellbeing, sleep, fatigue, functional capacity, and inflammatory biomarkers.
• To identify factors associated with fewer depressive symptoms in individuals with asymptomatic stage B heart failure.
• To explore the role of spiritual wellbeing subscales (faith, meaning, peace) in relation to depressive symptoms.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 132 men and women with asymptomatic stage B heart failure.
• Multiple regression analysis was used to predict depressive symptoms.
• Beck Depression Inventory and spiritual wellbeing scales were utilized.

Main Results:

• Approximately 32% of patients exhibited clinically relevant depressive symptoms.
• Fewer depressive symptoms were significantly associated with a lower inflammatory score, less fatigue, better sleep, and higher spiritual wellbeing.
• The meaning and peace subscales of spiritual wellbeing, but not faith, were independently linked to fewer depressive symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Spiritual wellbeing, particularly its meaning and peace components, is a significant factor associated with reduced depressive symptoms in asymptomatic heart failure.
• Interventions focused on enhancing spiritual wellbeing, specifically meaning and peace, could be a viable treatment strategy for managing depression in this patient group.
• Addressing spiritual health may offer a novel therapeutic avenue for improving mental health outcomes in individuals with early-stage heart failure.