Health Systems & Services Research | Psychiatric Aspects of Somatic Diseases | Mood Disorders | Heart Failure
Antidepressant use and depression ratings in heart failure patients
Jessica A Jiménez*, Barry H Greenberg, Joel E Dimsdale, Thomas R Rutledge, Meredith A Pung, Laura S Redwine, Michael G Ziegler, Suzi Hong, Paul J Mills
*Corresponding author: Jessica A Jiménez
SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health, San Diego, CA, USA
F1000Posters 2011, 2: 217 (poster) [ENGLISH]
Poster [598.38 KB] | Recommended by F1000Prime
Presented at
69th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society 2011 - Biobehavioral Processes and Health: Understanding Mechanisms, Implementing,
9 - 12 Mar 2011, 125
The purpose of the study was to examine characteristics of antidepressant use and prescribing patterns in a stable, outpatient heart failure (HF) population.
The study was descriptive and exploratory in nature. Characteristics of antidepressant use may influence the severity of depressive symptomatology in HF. Specific variables of interest included: source of antidepressant prescription (e.g. mental health professional vs. cardiologist), who diagnosed the patient with depression, whether the patient received a formal diagnosis of depression prior to receiving antidepressant therapy, was the depression diagnosis before or after the HF diagnosis, did the patient ever receive a dose adjustment or change of antidepressant medication, and current or past history of psychotherapy or behavioral therapy.
Broadly, our findings provide insight into the characteristics of antidepressant therapy in HF patients. Our findings suggest that patients with higher depressive symptoms are, appropriately, receiving care and attention, although the nature of the care is not adequately resolving their depressive symptoms. Further integration between psychiatry and cardiology could potentially lead to a reduction of depressive symptoms and increased quality of life in otherwise depressed HF patients.
No relevant conflicts of interest declared.
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