Assessment of Anxiety and Depression among Heart Failure Patients at King Faisal Cardiac Center, King Khalid Hospital, Jeddah

Background: Cardiovascular diseases are extremely common in Saudi Arabia. Depression and anxiety is highly prevalent in patients with heart failure disease and heralds adverse cardiovascular outcomes and increased health care costs. The aim is to assess the occurrence and severity level of anxiety and depression among heart failure patients. Methods: A Cross sectional correlational survey design was used to recruit 60 heart failure patients from King Faiesal cardiac center at King Khalid hospital Jeddah. The Arabic version of Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Zung self-rating depression scale were adopted and used to collect data. The results revealed that only (15%) of the study population have mild degree of depression while the majority 78.9% have moderate level of anxiety compared by 10.0% have severe level of anxiety. The study results showed a 23.52% of severe anxiety among patients who were diagnosed with heart failure 6-20 years ago and female, who had higher educational level and history of heart failure are at risk for depression and anxiety more than male patients. Conclusion: Anxiety and depression comorbid with heart failure patients with different degree starting from mild to severe level of anxiety and only mild level of depression was reported among study population. Female gender, duration of illness and pervious history of heart failure and psychiatric illness have an association with the severity of depression and anxiety with apparent significant difference among study population. Therefore, awareness training program targeting patients to help them detect depression and anxiety manifestations that may affect them either because of their long life chronic disease or dependency feeling on their families. Moreover, providing heart failure patients with psychosocial and Liaison psychiatric services to support patients’ mental health problems through referral or follow up.