Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026
Myocardial Infarction and Functional Outcome Assessment in Pigs
Published on: April 25, 2014
Pattern of Depression Among Patients of Myocardial Infarction in Karachi, Pakistan: A Cross-sectional Study
Hasham Saeed1, Fahad Khan2, Syeda Fatima Mohsin3
1Internal Medicine, Dow Medical College and Civil Hospital, Karachi, PAK.
Insights
Depression significantly impacts patients with myocardial infarction (MI), with nearly 80% experiencing some form of it. This highlights a critical need for mental health support following cardiovascular events to prevent further complications.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Depression is a significant risk factor exacerbating complications in acute coronary syndrome (ACS), including myocardial infarction (MI).
- ACS encompasses conditions like unstable angina and MI, both carrying substantial cardiovascular risks.
- Understanding depression prevalence in MI patients is crucial for effective post-event management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of depression among patients diagnosed with myocardial infarction (MI).
- To analyze depression rates in MI patients admitted to tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan.
Main Methods:
- A hospital-based, cross-sectional study involving 375 diagnosed MI patients (mean age 58) in Karachi.
- Data collected via interviews using a validated questionnaire, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9).
- Study conducted between June and November 2017 at Civil Hospital and NICVD Hospital.
Main Results:
- A high overall prevalence of depression was observed, with 79.5% of patients screening positive for some degree of depression.
- Severe, moderately severe, moderate, and mild depression were present in 12.8%, 17.1%, 17.6%, and 32% of cases, respectively.
- Depression affected both genders and smokers and non-smokers, with no statistically significant association found with age, gender, marital status, smoking, hypertension, or diabetes.
Conclusions:
- A substantial proportion of myocardial infarction patients in Karachi experience depressive symptoms post-cardiovascular event.
- These depressive changes can increase the likelihood of adverse complications following MI.
- The findings underscore the importance of addressing mental health in cardiac care.
Abstract:
Background Depression is a well-known risk factor that aggravates the chances of having various complications of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) such as cardiovascular collapse, heart failure, arrhythmia, recurrent myocardial infarction, and stroke among patients of ACS. ACS is a broad term which includes unstable angina as well as myocardial infarction (MI). The purpose of this study is to analyze the prevalence of depression among the patients of MI admitted to the tertiary care hospitals of Karachi, Pakistan. Methods and materials A hospital-based, cross-sectional study was conducted in which 375 admitted and diagnosed patients of MI with a mean age of 58 years were interviewed at the cardiology department of the Civil Hospital and National Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases (NICVD) Hospital, Karachi, from June to November 2017 using a self-made validated questionnaire, including patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Results Overall, about 12.8% of the cases were screened positive for severe depression, 17.1% for moderately severe depression, 17.6% for moderate depression, and 32% for mild depression (total of 79.5%). Of 146 female subjects, 119 (81.5%) were found to be suffering from some degree of depression while 179 (78.2%) of the 229 males screened positive for some degree of depression. Furthermore, 79 (82.3%) of the 96 smokers were suffering from a range of depression while 219 (78.5%) of the 279 non-smokers suffered the same. In addition, the results of the PHQ-9 were cross-tabbed with age (p=0.34), gender (p=0.66), marital status (p=0.07), living status, smoking (p= 0.72), hypertension (p=0.55), and diabetes (p=0.19). Conclusion This study concludes that many of the patients of MI who were admitted to the tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan, are suffering from major depressive behavioral changes following the cardiovascular event, which is known to aggravate the chances of having complications associated with it.
Related Concept Videos
01:50Cross-Sectional Research
01:24Finding Volume Using Cross-Sectional Area
01:26Profile Leveling and Cross Sections
01:16Spinal Cord: Cross-sectional Anatomy
Gray Matter and its Components
Central to the gray matter is...
01:05Long-term Depression
01:34Crossing Over
The homologous pairs of sister chromosomes—one from the maternal and one from the paternal genome—then begin to align alongside each other lengthwise, matching corresponding DNA positions in a process...