Who is at risk of post-MI depressive symptoms?
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to identify cardiologic, psychologic, and demographic risk factors in two groups of patients with post-myocardial infarction (MI) depressive symptoms (in-hospital and during the postdischarge year).


METHODS
Patients admitted for MI were assessed for depressive symptoms with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) during hospitalization and 3, 6, and 12 months post-MI. We contrasted both groups with nondepressed patients.


RESULTS
Pre-MI vital exhaustion, living alone, history of depressive disorder, history of MI, poor performance on exercise tolerance testing, and female gender were significantly and independently associated with in-hospital depressive symptoms. Pre-MI vital exhaustion, history of depressive disorder, female gender, poor ejection fraction, and longer hospital stay were independent predictors of the development of postdischarge depressive symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Post-MI depressive symptoms seem largely driven by the psychological and social consequences of the MI in patients vulnerable to depression, as indexed by a history of depression and vital exhaustion.
Spijkerman
Titia A
TA
Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Groningen, Graduate School of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. t.a.spijkerman@acggn.umcg.nl
van den Brink
Rob H S
RH
Jansen
Jaap H C
JH
Crijns
Harry J G M
HJ
Ormel
Johan
J
D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005221:Fatigue; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012944:Social Support