Gender Differences in Self-Reported Symptoms of Depression among Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome

Abstract

This study examined the prevalence of self-reported depressive symptoms and the self reported somatic depressive symptoms as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) among patients hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and explored the impact of gender on both. A convenience sample of 789 adults (248 women and 541 men) was recruited for the study during hospital admission for ACS and participants were screened for self-reported depressive symptoms. BDI-II scores of ≥14 indicate a moderate level of depressive symptoms and this cut-off score was used to categorize patients into depressed and non-depressed groups. Pearson chi-square tests for independence (categorical variables) and t tests for independent samples (continuous variables) were used for gender comparisons. Results showed that depressive symptoms during ACS episodes were different between women and men. Women reported greater overall depressive symptoms (BDI-II mean = 11.89, S.D. = 9.68) than men (BDI-II mean = 9.00, S.D. = 7.93) (P < 0.000). Significantly more women (7.66%) were identified positive for somatic depressive symptoms (sleep and appetite disturbances and fatigue) than men (2.22%) (P = 0.0003). Findings support that there are gender differences in depressive symptoms experienced by patients hospitalized for ACS. Somatic symptoms of depression may be important indicators of depression especially among female ACS patients.

Depression and Cardiac Disease: Epidemiology, Mechanisms, and Diagnosis

“…Most studies have found that younger patients, women, and patients with premorbid histories of depression are more likely to have depression in the context of CVD [25–29]. Among patients suffering from an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), in addition to the previous factors, social isolation, prior ACS, and in some cases, comorbid diabetes may also increase depression risk [27, 28, 30–32]. …”

Depressive Symptoms and Complications Early after Acute Myocardial Infarction: Gender Differences

“…Depression is a prevalent phenomenon across the world [ 20 - 22 ]. With few exceptions, females have a higher incidence and level of depressive symptoms compared to males [ 10 , 20 - 25 ]. For instance, in a meta-analysis of 16 prospective studies about sex differences in depression post AMI, 14 studies with 7202 participants out of 10175 reported that females had higher levels of depressive symptoms compared to males [ 20 ].…”

Self‐reported depressive symptoms in women hospitalized for acute coronary syndrome

“…Our group has previously shown that somatic symptoms of depression may serve as meaningful indicators of depression among women with CVD (Frazier et al 2012). In this study, women in all three age groups had frequent somatic complaints of tiredness or fatigue, loss of energy, and sleep changes.…”

“…Evidence suggests that depression is an independent risk factor for future adverse coronary events and the presence of depressive symptoms has been associated with higher rates of morbidity and mortality in ACS patients (Frasure-Smith et al 1999, Lespérance et al 2000, Frasure-Smith & Lespérance 2003, Van Melle et al & Barth et al & Lett et al 2004, Parashar et al 2009). Depression is especially prevalent in women with CVD, with up to 47% of women reporting depressive symptoms during and after an ACS event (Frasure-Smith et al 1999, Mallik et al 2006, Frazier et al 2012). Parashar et al reported that women have a higher prevalence of self-reported depressive symptoms during and after hospitalization for ACS up to 1.5 to 2 times higher than men (2009).…”