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Inadequate treatment of depression after myocardial infarction
Author(s) -
Luutonen S.,
Holm H.,
Salminen J. K.,
Risla A.,
Salokangas R. K. R.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0447.2002.01428.x
Subject(s) - myocardial infarction , depression (economics) , medicine , cardiology , psychiatry , macroeconomics , economics
Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and the self‐reported psychiatric treatment after myocardial infarction. Method: Depressive symptoms and medication were studied in 85 consecutive acute myocardial infarction patients during 18 months follow‐up. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results: The proportion of patients with depressive symptoms (BDI 10) was 21.2% while in hospital, 30.0% at 6 months and 33.9% at 18 months. At 18 months, none of the patients were receiving adequate antidepressive medication. There were eight patients with BDI scores corresponding to moderate/severe depression (BDI 19). Six of these patients were receiving benzodiazepine medication and two of them had been treated in the mental health care system after the myocardial infarction. Conclusion: There seems to be considerable problems in the diagnosis and/or treatment of depression after myocardial infarction.