Anxiety and Depression in Heart Failure

Patients with heart failure (HF) may experience depression or anxiety due to various reasons associated with their or caregivers' characteristics. The purpose of this study was to explore patients' and caregivers' characteristics associated with hospitalized HF patients' anxiety and depression. A total of 300 hospitalized HF patients with their caregivers were enrolled in the study. Data were collected using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, which also included patients' and caregivers' characteristics. The statistical significance level was set at P < .05. A statistically significant association was observed between patients' anxiety and age (P = .044), level of education (P = .015), type of diagnosis (P = .001), New York Heart Association (NYHA) class (P = .001), prior hospitalization within the current year (P = .013), current smoking (P = .001), frequency of physical exercise (P = .001), and their self-reported ability for symptom management after hospital discharge (P = .001). A statistically significant association was observed between patients' depression and age (P = .018), type of diagnosis (P = .001), NYHA class (P = .001), prior hospitalization within the current year (P = .004), current smoking (P = .001), occasional alcohol consumption (P = .026), frequency of physical exercise (P = .001), and their self-reported ability for symptom management after hospital discharge (P = .001). In terms of caregivers' characteristics, a statistically significant association was observed between patients' anxiety/depression and the relationship with caregivers (P = .006 and P = .001, respectively), whether caregivers declared added responsibilities among family members (P = .041 and P = .002, respectively), and whether they felt uncertain about patients' clinical outcome (P = .001 and P = .001, respectively). Finally, a statistically significant association was observed between patients' depression and the occupation of their caregivers (P = .038). Patients' characteristics associated with anxiety/depression were demographic and clinical, while caregivers' characteristics associated with patients' anxiety/depression were their self-reports and demographic characteristics. Knowledge of factors that influence anxiety and depression can enable health care professionals to offer appropriate interventions tailored to their needs.