Depression and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Should We be Screening for Depressive Symptoms?

A Predictive Model of the Effects of Depression, Anxiety, Stress, 6-Minute-Walk Distance, and Social Support on Health-Related Quality of Life in an Adult Pulmonary Hypertension Population

“…Specifically, REVEAL PH Disease Management discovered 25% of patients with PH experience depression. 6 Depression undiagnosed or untreated may lead to a diminished HRQOL as the frequency of the symptoms of 16 reported depressive disorder was associated with significant impairments in HRQOL. Individuals who were depressed had comparable or worse physical, psychosocial, and role functioning and increased functional disability than did individuals with chronic disease without depression.…”

“…The Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-term (REVEAL) PH Disease Management was a multicenter observational cohort study that discovered 25% of patients with PH experience depression. 6 Depression can cause a decrease in HRQOL. 2 Health-related quality of life has been evaluated in individuals with PH in previous studies.…”

Depression: Beyond Description As an Important Comorbidity in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension—The Next Steps

“…A recent study by Batal et al suggests that poor sleep quality is common in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and correlates with depression, dyspnea, and poor quality of life. 22 Undiagnosed comorbid depression makes it difficult for the provider to properly evaluate the patient, 23 and likely decreases treatment adherence. The presence of depression might also affect reporting of symptoms and make it more difficult for the provider to determine the correct plan of care.…”

“…In spite of the frequency of depression as a comorbidity in patients with PAH, formal screening and treatment of depressive disorders is not currently a common practice in most PH referral centers. 23,24 A majority of patients are seen in their respective PH clinics every 3 to 6 months, making the PAH provider well positioned to recognize and address concurrent psychiatric illness. Unfortunately, however, inadequate assessment for depression and other comorbid psychiatric disorders is the rule rather than the exception.…”

“…Routine screening of PH patients for depression is likely to improve detection of depression in this patient population. 23 Without a plan for screening and referral, depression may be underdiagnosed and undertreated by PAH providers. Our recent study 2 found that 69% of patients with mild-to-moderate depressive symptoms were not on antidepressant therapy, and 50% of patients with severe depressive symptoms were not taking an antidepressant.…”