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Social support, coping, and depressive symptoms in a late-middle-aged sample of patients reporting cardiac illness
C J Holahan1, R H Moos, C K Holahan
1Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin 78712, USA.
Insights
Individuals with cardiac illness experience more depressive symptoms. Social support and adaptive coping strategies can mitigate these symptoms, especially for women with heart conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
Background:
- Cardiac illness is associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms.
- Late-middle-aged individuals with cardiac conditions require further investigation regarding mental health outcomes.
- Understanding gender-specific vulnerabilities in cardiac patients is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test a 1-year predictive model of depressive symptoms in patients with cardiac illness.
- To compare depressive symptoms between cardiac patients and healthy controls.
- To identify predictors of depressive symptoms in individuals with cardiac illness.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study design with a 1-year follow-up period.
- Inclusion of patients with chronic and acute cardiac illness, and healthy controls.
- Utilized integrative time-lag and prospective structural equation modeling.
Main Results:
- Individuals with both chronic and acute cardiac illness reported significantly more depressive symptoms than healthy controls.
- Women, particularly those with cardiac illness, exhibited a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms.
- Social support and adaptive coping strategies were significant predictors of reduced depressive symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Cardiac illness is a significant risk factor for developing depressive symptoms.
- Targeted interventions focusing on social support and coping strategies may alleviate depressive symptoms in cardiac patients.
- Gender-specific approaches are warranted to address the heightened vulnerability of women with cardiac illness.
Abstract:
This study tests a 1-year predictive model of depressive symptoms in a late-middle-aged sample of patients reporting diagnoses of cardiac illness. Results based on 325 individuals (248 men and 77 women) diagnosed with chronic cardiac illness, 71 individuals (52 men and 19 women) diagnosed with acute cardiac illness, and 219 healthy controls (129 men and 90 women) strongly supported the hypotheses. Compared with healthy persons, individuals with chronic and those with acute cardiac illness reported more depressive symptoms at follow-up. Women overall showed more depressive symptoms than did men, and women with cardiac illness were particularly vulnerable to behavioral manifestations of depressive symptoms. Integrative time-lag and prospective structural equation models indicated that, for individuals with cardiac illness, social support and adaptive coping strategies predicted fewer depressive symptoms.