Gender specifics of affective disorders in patients with coronary heart diseas (according to screening and psychometric tests)

Abstract

Aim. To study gender characteristics of affective disorders (prevalence and severity of anxiety and depression) and quality of life in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) according to screening and psychometric tests. Materials and methods. Five hundred seventy six patients with a verified diagnosis of CHD were tested using the Screening Questionnaire for Affective Spectrum Disorders (SQASD): 385 (67.8 %) men and 191 (33.2 %) women. From the total screening group using, 383 patients were examined with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), while examination with the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) included 351 patients with CHD. The quality of life index was determined in 242 patients with CHD using the Modified Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ). Results. In the general group of patients with CHD examined by SQASD, anxiety and depressive disorders (ADD) were diagnosed in 81 %, the absence of ADD – in 19 %, p < 0.0001. In the group of patients examined using SQASD and the BDI scale, the presence of ADD was noted in 78.9 %, the absence – in 21.1 %, p < 0.0001. Screening of patients examined with the BDI scale revealed higher incidence of ADD in women: 95 % vs. 71.5 %, p < 0.0001. The overall score on the HADS anxiety scale in the men’s group was 7.9 ± 4.7, in the women’s group – 10.28 ± 3.9, p < 0.0001, while according the HADS depression scale – 6.32 ± 3.92 and 7.7 ± 4.18, respectively, p < 0.004. The level of depression by BDI scale in the men’s group was 14.07 ± 9.82, in the women’s group – 17.75 ± 8.42, p < 0.0004. Absence of symptoms of depression according the BDI scale was observed more often in the group of men compared with the group of women: 36.9 % and 19.2 %, p < 0.0005. The frequency of severe anxiety (45.8 % and 28.7 %, p < 0.002) and depression (26.2 % and 11.5 %, p < 0.0004) according the HADS was higher in the group of women compared to the group of men. The value of the IUCN quality of life index was higher in the group of men (25.4 ± 7.1 and 22.4 ± 4.8, p < 0.001). Conclusion. In this study, screening of CHD patients using SQASD and psychometric tests (BDI and HADS) has revealed higher incidence of ADD and psychosocial risk factors (anxiety and depression) in the group of women compared with the group of men. The results of screening are generally consistent with the survey data of psychometric tests and QOL indicators.