Does evidence support the American Heart Association's recommendation to screen patients for depression in cardiovascular care? An updated systematic review

Depression screening in patients with coronary heart disease : A narrative review of the current evidence

In view of the large and sometimes conflicting body of research, this narrative review summarizes the current evidence on depression screening in patients with coronary heart disease. Depression is a risk factor for development and progression of coronary heart disease. Consequently, many international cardiac guidelines recommend screening for depression in patients with coronary heart disease. However, the efficacy and implementation of these guidelines are debated due to the lack of empirical evidence supporting the benefits of routine depression screening. Studies conducted in cardiac routine care support this assumption: Patients with positive depression screens do not receive adequate follow-up care, which highlights gaps in the detection-to-treatment pathway. Barriers to effective screening and treatment include system-level factors, such as insufficient integration of mental health resources in cardiology, and patient-related factors like stigma and low acceptance of mental health treatment. Innovative interventions that address these barriers and involve patients as active partners in depression care should be developed through a theory-driven, transparent, multistage process involving key stakeholders such as patients, nurses, and cardiologists. A sound methodological evaluation of such multilevel interventions could answer the question of whether early detection of depression in patients with coronary heart disease would lead to health benefits.

The Role of the Clinical Psychologist in the Care of Adults With Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is on the rise globally and, along with mental health conditions, will represent the largest public health burden, especially in a world impacted by climate change. Behavior, psychological mechanisms, and CVD are closely correlated. Evidence-based psychological interventions targeting behavior and psychological mechanisms exist across the CVD spectrum. This statement proposes the development of a subspecialty "cardiovascular psychology" to develop integrated pathways of behavioral care delivered to CVD populations. Scope of practice is discussed as it relates to diagnosing and treating comorbid health disorders, behavioral change interventions, pain management, lifestyle and wellbeing, neuropsychological assessment, and cognitive rehabilitation. An agenda on reforms for financials, training pathways, and diversification of the workforce is presented. Finally, normalizing the integration of behavioral health as part of CVD treatment is a shared responsibility across professional organizations and the community to realize value-based CVD care.

The Impact of Post-Myocardial Infarction (MI) Depression on Cardiovascular-Related Hospitalizations

Routine depression screening and subsequent treatment in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients may lead to improved cardiac outcomes. However, screening for depression is not a standard of post-MI care. Though the American Heart Association (AHA) published an advisory recommending routine depression screening in post-MI patients, there is conflicting evidence on the benefit that routine depression screening has on cardiovascular outcomes. The purpose of this study is to compare the occurrence of cardiovascular-related readmissions in post-MI patients diagnosed with depression versus post-MI patients not diagnosed with depression. This retrospective cohort study analyzed the incidence of cardiovascular-related readmissions and mortality in adult post-MI patients diagnosed with depression within 1 year compared to those not diagnosed with depression within a year. Those diagnosed with depression were more likely to experience a subsequent cardiovascular-related hospitalization within 2 years of MI than those not diagnosed with depression (52.6% vs 28.7%; odds ratio [OR], 3.19; 95% CI 2.33-4.38). There was no difference between groups in the incidence of in-hospital mortality.

Effects of a Primary Care-Based Intervention on the Identification and Management of Patients with Coronary Heart Disease and Mental or Cognitive Comorbidity-A Study Protocol

Mental and cognitive disorders (MCD) negatively affect the incidence and prognosis of coronary heart disease (CHD). Medical guidelines recommend the appropriate management of comorbid MCD in patients with CHD, yet there is evidence that the implementation in primary care is not always adequate. We present the protocol for a pilot study that aims to develop a minimally invasive intervention and evaluate its feasibility in the primary care setting to improve the identification and management of comorbid MCD in patients with CHD. The study consists of two consecutive parts and will be carried out in Cologne, Germany. Part 1 comprises the development and tailoring of the intervention, which is guided by qualitative interviews with primary care physicians (PCPs, n = 10), patients with CHD and MCD and patient representatives (n = 10). Part II focuses on the implementation and evaluation of the intervention in n = 10 PCP offices. Changes in PCP behaviour will be analysed by comparing routine data in the practice management system six months before and six months after study participation. In addition, we will explore the influence of organisational characteristics and perform a socio-economic impact assessment. The outcomes of this mixed-method study will inform the feasibility of a PCP-based intervention to improve quality of care in patients with CHD and comorbid MCD.

Psychosocial services provided by licensed cardiac rehabilitation programs

Background

Professional health organizations recommend that outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programs include activities to optimize the physical, mental, and social well-being of patients. The study objectives were to describe among cardiac rehabilitation programs (1) mental health assessments performed; (2) psychosocial services offered; and (3) leadership's perception of barriers to psychosocial services offerings.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey of North Carolina licensed outpatient cardiac rehabilitation programs on their 2018 services was conducted. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize survey responses. Thematic analysis of free text questions related to barriers to programmatic establishment or expansion of psychosocial services was performed by two team members until consensus was reached.

Results

Sixty-eight programs (89%) responded to the survey. Forty-eight programs (70%) indicated offering psychosocial services; however, a majority (73%) of programs reported not directly billing for those services. At program enrollment, mental health was assessed in 94% of programs of which 92% repeated the assessment at discharge. Depression was assessed with the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire by a majority (75%) of programs. Psychosocial services included individual counseling (59%), counseling referrals (49%), and educational classes (29%). Directors reported lack of internal resources (92%) and patient beliefs (45%) as the top barriers to including or expanding psychosocial services at their facilities.

Conclusions

Cardiac rehabilitation programs routinely assess mental health but lack the resources to establish or expand psychosocial services. Interventions aimed at improving patient education and reducing stigma of mental health are important public health opportunities.

Guanxin Danshen Dripping Pills Improve Quality of Life and Cardiovascular Prognoses of CHD Patients after PCI with Anxiety or Depression (GLAD Study): A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy and safety of Guanxin Danshen Dripping Pills (GXDS) in the treatment of depression or anxiety in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

METHODS

From September 2017 to June 2019, 200 CHD patients after PCI with depression and anxiety were included and randomly divided into GXDS (100 cases) and placebo control groups (100 cases) by block randomization and a random number table. Patients in the GXDS and control groups were given GXDS and placebo, respectively, 0.4 g each time, 3 times daily for 12 weeks. The primary outcomes were scores of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Scale (GAD-7) and the Seattle Angina Pectoris Scale (SAQ). The secondary outcomes included 12 Health Survey Summary Form (SF-12) scores and the first onset time and incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Other indices including blood pressure, blood lipids, microcirculation and inflammatory-related indices, etc. were monitored at baseline, week 4, and week 12.

RESULTS

In the full analysis set (200 cases), after treatment, the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores in the GXDS group were considerably lower than those in the control group (P<0.05). Compared with the baseline, the total PHQ-9 scores of the experimental and control groups decreased by 3.97 and 1.18, respectively. The corrected mean difference between the two groups was -2.78 (95% CI: -3.47, -2.10; P<0.001). The total GAD-7 score in the GXDS group decreased by 3.48% compared with the baseline level, while that of the placebo group decreased by 1.13%. The corrected mean difference between the two groups was -2.35 (95% CI: -2.95, -1.76; P<0.001). The degree of improvement in SAQ score, SF-12 score, endothelin and high-sensitive C-reactive protein levels in the GXDS group were substantially superior than those in the placebo group, and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05). Similar results were obtained in the per protocol population analysis of 177 patients. Three cases of MACES were reported in this study (1 in the GXDS group and 2 in the placebo group), and no serious adverse events occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

GXDS can significantly alleviate depression and anxiety, relieve symptoms of angina, and improve quality of life in patients with CHD after PCI. (Registration No. ChiCTR1800014291).

Effects of psychological treatment for depression among people not actively seeking help: a meta-analysis

Although psychological treatments have been found to be effective for depression in adults, many individuals with depression do not actively seek help. It is currently unclear whether psychological treatments are effective among those not actively seeking help. Besides, little is known about the proportion of patients who completed a screening questionnaire who end up in a clinical trial. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis of 52 randomized trials comparing psychotherapies for adults with a diagnosis or elevated symptoms of depression against control conditions (care-as-usual, waiting list, and other inactive treatment). Only studies recruiting participants who do not actively seek help (participants who have been recruited through screening instead of advertisements and clinical referrals) were included. To obtain an overall effect estimate of psychotherapy, we pooled all post-test differences with a random-effects model. We found that psychological treatments had a moderate to high effect on reducing depressive symptoms compared to control groups [g = 0.55; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41-0.69]. Heterogeneity was high (I² = 75%; 95% CI 68-80). At 12 months' follow-up, the effects were small but significant (6-8 months: g = 0.33; 95% CI 0.14-0.52; 9-12 months: g = 0.24; 95% CI 0.11-0.37). As a secondary outcome, we found that 13% of patients who completed a screening questionnaire met the inclusion criteria for depression and agreed to be randomized in the trial. Based on the current evidence, psychological treatments for depression might be effective for depressed patients who are not actively seeking help.

Increasing Uptake of Depression Screening and Treatment Guidelines in Cardiac Patients: A Behavioral and Implementation Science Approach to Developing a Theory-Informed, Multilevel Implementation Strategy

BACKGROUND

Depression leads to poor health outcomes in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Despite guidelines recommending screening and treatment of depressed patients with CHD, few patients receive optimal care. We applied behavioral and implementation science methods to (1) identify generalizable, multilevel barriers to depression screening and treatment in patients with CHD and (2) develop a theory-informed, multilevel implementation strategy for promoting guideline adoption.

METHODS

We conducted a narrative review of barriers to depression screening and treatment in patients with CHD (ie, medications, exercise, cardiac rehabilitation, or therapy) comprising data from 748 study participants. Informed by the behavior change wheel framework and Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change, we defined multilevel target behaviors, characterized determinants (capability, opportunity, motivation), and mapped barriers to feasible, acceptable, and equitable intervention functions and behavior change techniques to develop a multilevel implementation strategy, targeting health care systems/providers and patients.

RESULTS

We identified implementation barriers at the system/provider level (eg, Capability: knowledge; Opportunity: workflow integration; Motivation: ownership) and patient level (eg, Capability: knowledge; Opportunity: mobility; Motivation: symptom denial). Acceptable, feasible, and equitable intervention functions included education, persuasion, environmental restructuring, and enablement. Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change strategies included learning collaborative, audit, feedback, and educational materials. The final multicomponent strategy (iHeart DepCare) for promoting depression screening/treatment included problem-solving meetings with clinic staff (system); educational/motivational videos, electronic health record reminders/decisional support (provider); and a shared decision-making (electronic shared decision-making) tool with several functions for patients, for example, patient activation, patient treatment selection support.

CONCLUSIONS

We applied implementation and behavioral science methods to identify implementation barriers and to develop a multilevel implementation strategy for increasing uptake of depression screening and treatment in patients with CHD as a use case. The multilevel implementation strategy will be evaluated in a future hybrid II effectiveness-implementation trial.

Depression and Perceived Stress After Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection and Comparison With Other Acute Myocardial Infarction (the VIRGO Experience)

Data on depression and stress among patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) are limited. Using data from the VIRGO (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients) study, which prospectively enrolled 3,572 acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients between 18 and 55 years of age, we identified 67 SCAD cases. We compared Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and 14-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) scores obtained at baseline, 1 month, and 12 months between SCAD and AMI of all other causes. Using longitudinal linear mixed-effects analysis, we compared depression and stress scores between SCAD and other AMI, adjusting for time and selected covariates. Patients with SCAD had lower baseline PHQ-9 scores (6.1 ± 6.0 vs 7.7 ± 6.4 for other patients with AMI, p = 0.03), similar 1-month scores, and lower 12-month scores (3.2 ± 4.3 vs 4.9 ± 5.5, p = 0.004). At baseline and 1 month, patients with SCAD had similar PSS-14 scores to those of other patients with AMI. At 12 months, patients with SCAD had lower scores (18.4 ± 8.8 vs 21.5 ± 9.3 for other patients with AMI, p = 0.009). After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, co-morbidities, and clinical acuity, no differences in PHQ-9 or PSS-14 scores remained between SCAD and other AMI. Similar results were obtained in a subgroup analysis of only women with SCAD and other AMI. In conclusion, patients with SCAD had a relatively lower burden of depression and perceived stress than other patients with AMI, potentially because of fewer co-morbidities and favorable socioeconomic factors. However, given high depression and stress burden in both SCAD and other patients with AMI, routine screening can help identify and treat these patients.

The association of general practitioners' awareness of depression and anxiety with change in quality of life in heart failure patients: results of the prospective observational RECODE-HF cohort study

BACKGROUND

Depression and anxiety are more prevalent in patients with heart failure (HF) than in the general population and reduce quality of life (QoL); therefore, clinical guidelines recommend screening HF patients for depression/anxiety.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated, whether the general practitioners' (GPs) awareness of patients' symptoms of depression and/or anxiety (psychosocial distress) was associated with a change in QoL.

METHODS

In this prospective observational study, we recruited 3,129 primary care HF patients in Germany. Patients completed baseline and 12-month follow-up questionnaires. Their GPs were interviewed. We identified 666 patients with psychosocial distress and compared 2 groups by analysis of covariance: 235 patients with psychosocial distress whose GP was aware of the psychosocial distress and 431 patients with psychosocial distress whose GP was unaware of such distress. Primary outcome was the change in QoL, assessed by the EQ-5D visual analogue scale.

RESULTS

Patients with psychosocial distress showed lower baseline QoL than those without (45.9 vs 64.1; P < 0.001). Within the patients with psychosocial distress, the GPs' awareness of psychosocial distress was not associated with improvement of QoL (F = 1.285; P = 0.258) or remission of psychosocial distress (odds ratio = 0.887; P = 0.608).

CONCLUSION

We found no association between the GPs' awareness of psychosocial distress and change in QoL. Although data for effective treatments of depression in HF are currently insufficient, psychosocial distress strongly impairs the QoL in HF patients. These findings might influence the development of clinical practice guidelines in HF.

New onset anxiety and depression in patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator during 24 months of follow-up (data from the national DEFIB-WOMEN study)

OBJECTIVE

To examine the cumulative incidence of and covariates' association with new onset anxiety and depression in implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) patients during 24 months of follow-up in patients without depression and anxiety at implant.

METHODS

Patients (n = 1040; 155 (14.9%) women; mean age: 64.2 ± 10.6) with a first-time ICD enrolled in the national, multi-center prospective observational DEFIB-WOMEN study comprised the study cohort. We obtained information on demographic and clinical data from the Danish Pacemaker and ICD Register.

RESULTS

During 24 months of follow-up, 138 (14.5%) patients developed new onset anxiety and 109 (11.3%) new onset depression. Age ≥ 60 [HR:0.60;95%CI:0.40-0.90] and an anxiety score between 3 and 4 [HR:2.85; 95%CI:1.71-4.75] and 5-7 [HR:5.97; 95%CI:3.77-9.45] on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were associated with different hazards of new onset anxiety during follow-up. Age ≥ 60 [HR:0.62;95%CI:0.42-0.93] and a HADS depression score between 3 and 4 [HR:2.99;95%CI:1.80-4.95] and 5-7 [HR:6.45; 95%CI:4.12-10.10] were associated with different hazards of new onset depression.

CONCLUSION

During 24 months of follow-up, respectively 14.5% and 11.3% of patients developed new onset anxiety and depression, suggesting that screening patients at several timepoints, and in particular those with even minimally elevated HADS scores at baseline, may be warranted to identify patients at risk for poor health outcomes.

Investigating patients´ views on screening for depression in cardiac practice: A qualitative interview study

OBJECTIVE

Recommendations on screening for depression in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) are highly debated. While recent research has prioritized efficacy studies, little is known about what is potentially required for screening to be efficacious. Expanding our knowledge of how patients with CHD view screening is likely to pose a first step towards addressing this gap. We aimed to investigate patients ́ views on routine screening for depression in cardiac practice.

METHODS

This exploratory, qualitative study was conducted among 12 patients with CHD, who completed semi-structured interviews. We used a purposive sampling strategy to include patients within a range of ages, gender and self-reported depression. Thematic analysis was carried out.

RESULTS

We identified four main themes: Acceptance, utility, barriers and expectations. Patients in this sample appeared to be in favor of standardized routine screening for depression in cardiac practice, if the rationale was disclosed. Patients reported that standardized screening addresses holistic care demands, promotes validation of individual symptom burden and legitimizes the display of psychological distress in cardiac practice. Yet, skepticism towards the validity of screening instruments and perceived stigmatization could pose a main barrier to screening efficacy. Patients expected to receive feedback on results and consecutive recommendations.

CONCLUSION

We found that depression screening is endorsed by patients with CHD in this study sample. Standardized routine screening procedures could serve as a useful tool to combat stigmatization, and encourage patients to display symptoms of depression towards cardiologists. The efficacy of depression screening could potentially be enhanced by tailoring the screening process towards patients´ needs.

Long-term cardiac outcomes of depression screening, diagnosis and treatment in patients with acute coronary syndrome: the DEPACS study

BACKGROUND

To investigate the impacts of depression screening, diagnosis and treatment on major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

METHODS

Prospective cohort study including a nested 24-week randomised clinical trial for treating depression was performed with 5-12 years after the index ACS. A total of 1152 patients recently hospitalised with ACS were recruited from 2006 to 2012, and were divided by depression screening and diagnosis at baseline and 24-week treatment allocation into five groups: 651 screening negative (N), 55 screening positive but no depressive disorder (S), 149 depressive disorder randomised to escitalopram (E), 151 depressive disorder randomised to placebo (P) and 146 depressive disorder receiving medical treatment only (M).

RESULTS

Cumulative MACE incidences over a median 8.4-year follow-up period were 29.6% in N, 43.6% in S, 40.9% in E, 53.6% in P and 59.6% in M. Compared to N, screening positive was associated with higher incidence of MACE [adjusted hazards ratio 2.15 (95% confidence interval 1.63-2.83)]. No differences were found between screening positive with and without a formal depressive disorder diagnosis. Of those screening positive, E was associated with a lower incidence of MACE than P and M. M had the worst outcomes even compared to P, despite significantly milder depressive symptoms at baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

Routine depression screening in patients with recent ACS and subsequent appropriate treatment of depression could improve long-term cardiac outcomes.

Psychosocial Risk Factors in Cardiac Rehabilitation: Time to Screen Beyond Anxiety and Depression

Background

Although it is well acknowledged that psychosocial risk factors (PSRF) such as low socio-economic status, stress, social isolation, negative emotions and negative personality patterns may contribute to the development and adverse outcome of cardiovascular disease (CVD), screening for PSRF in CVD patients is usually limited to anxiety and depression, mainly for feasibility reasons. We therefore aimed to develop a user-friendly screening battery for routine assessment of PSRFs and to evaluate this instrument regarding feasibility of application, PSRF results and attendance of psychological counselling if recommended to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients.

Methods

This is a prospective single center cohort study including 609 consecutive CR patients. We first developed a screening instrument based on seven validated scales for the most relevant PSRFs with totally 90 questions presented in a uniform graphical design to facilitate completion called Psychocardiogram® (PCG) and applied the instrument in consecutive patients attending CR. Patients with positive screening results were invited to a psychological counseling session.

Results

Six hundred and nine consecutive patients, aged 34 to 86 years (mean 60.7 years), 85% men, entering the CR program at the Bern University Hospital with ischemic heart failure (CHF), coronary artery disease (CAD) or peripheral artery disease, were included in this study. Eighty-three point three percent of the patients completed the PCG within 40 minutes. Vital exhaustion and Type-D personality were the most prevalent PSRFs (56.9% and 51.1%, respectively), whereas low social support (14.4%) and elevated depressive symptoms (15.9%), were the least prevalent ones. After screening, 120 patients (52.86%) with at least one PSRF made use of psychological counseling.

Conclusions

We found the PCG to be a useful screening tool for PSRF in CR patients with the potential to get new insights into the prevalence of particular PSRF in specific populations and to better study their impact on occurrence and outcome of CVD.

Heart and brain interactions : Pathophysiology and management of cardio-psycho-neurological disorders

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and mental health disorders (MHD; e.g. depression, anxiety and cognitive dysfunction) are highly prevalent and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality and impaired quality of life. Currently, possible interactions between pathophysiological mechanisms in MHD and CVD are rarely considered during the diagnostic work-up, prognostic assessment and treatment planning in patients with CVD, and research addressing bidirectional disease mechanisms in a systematic fashion is scarce. Besides some overarching pathogenetic principles shared by CVD and MHD, there are specific syndromes in which pre-existing neurological or psychiatric illness predisposes and contributes to CVD development (as in Takotsubo syndrome), or in which the distorted interplay between innate immune and central nervous systems and/or pre-existing CVD leads to secondary MHD and brain damage (as in peripartum cardiomyopathy or atrial fibrillation). Clinical manifestations and phenotypes of cardio-psycho-neurological diseases depend on the individual somatic, psychosocial, and genetic risk profile as well as on personal resilience, and differ in many respects between men and women. In this article, we provide arguments on why, in such conditions, multidisciplinary collaborations should be established to allow for more comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiology as well as appropriate and targeted diagnosis and treatment. In addition, we summarize current knowledge on the complex interactions between the cardiovascular and central nervous systems in Takotsubo syndrome and peripartum cardiomyopathy, and on the neurological and psychiatric complications of atrial fibrillation.

Detection and treatment of mental disorders in patients with coronary heart disease (MenDis-CHD): A cross-sectional study

Mental disorders (MD) are associated with an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease (CHD) and with higher CHD-related morbidity and mortality. There is a strong recommendation to routinely screen CHD patients for MDs, diagnosis, and treatment by recent guidelines. The current study aimed at mapping CHD patients' (1) state of diagnostics and, if necessary, treatment of MDs, (2) trajectories and detection rate in healthcare, and (3) the influence of MDs and its management on quality of life and patient satisfaction. The design was a cross-sectional study in three settings (two hospitals, two rehabilitation clinics, three cardiology practices). CHD patients were screened for MDs with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and, if screened-positive, examined for MDs with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I). Quality of Life (EQ-5D), Patient Assessment of Care for Chronic Conditions (PACIC), and previous routine diagnostics and treatment for MDs were examined. Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared tests, and ANOVA were used for analyses. Analyses of the data of 364 patients resulted in 33.8% positive HADS-screenings and 28.0% SCID-I diagnoses. The detection rate of correctly pre-diagnosed MDs was 49.0%. Physicians actively approached approximately thirty percent of patients on MDs; however, only 6.6% of patients underwent psychotherapy and 4.1% medication therapy through psychotherapists/psychiatrists. MD patients scored significantly lower on EQ-5D and the PACIC. The state of diagnostic and treatment of comorbid MDs in patients with CHD is insufficient. Patients showed a positive attitude towards addressing MDs and were satisfied with medical treatment, but less with MD-related advice. Physicians in secondary care need more training inadequately addressing mental comorbidity.

Prevalence, 12-Month Prognosis, and Clinical Management Need of Depression in Coronary Heart Disease Patients: A Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

Screening for depression in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) remains controversial. There is limited data on the actual depression management need in routine care. The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence, treatment rates, prognosis, and management need of clinical and subclinical depression in CHD patients according to the American Heart Association recommendations and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline "Depression in Adults with a Chronic Physical Health Problem".

METHODS

Patients were recruited at 2 German university clinics between 2012 and 2014. Depressive disorders were assessed according to the DSM-IV and depressive symptom severity at baseline and during follow-up was evaluated with the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Depression management need was determined by the severity and longitudinal course of depression symptoms.

RESULTS

Of 1,024 patients (19% women), 12% had clinical depression (depressive disorder) and 45% had subclinical depression (PHQ-9 score ≥5) at baseline. Among those with clinical depression, 46% were in treatment at least once during 12 months; 26% were continuously in treatment during follow-up. Depressive disorder and depressive symptoms were significant risk factor-adjusted predictors of the 12-months mortality (adjusted HR = 3.19; 95% CI 1.32-7.69, and adjusted HR = 1.09; 95% CI 1.02-1.16, respectively). Depressive symptoms persisted in 85% of the clinically depressed and in 47% of the subclinically depressed patients. According to current recommendations, 29% of all CHD patients would require depression management within 1 year.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a need for enhanced recognition, referral, and continuous and improved clinical management of depression in CHD patients.

Depression in the medically ill

BACKGROUND

Depressive disorders are significantly more common in the medically ill compared to the general population. Depression is associated with worsening of physical symptoms, greater healthcare utilization and poorer treatment adherence. The present paper provides a critical review on the assessment and management of depression in the medically ill.

METHODS

Relevant articles pertaining to depression in the medically ill were identified, reviewed and synthesized qualitatively. A systematic review was not performed due to the large breadth of this topic, making a meaningful summary of all published and unpublished studies not feasible. Notable studies were reviewed and synthesized by a diverse set of experts to provide a balanced summary.

RESULTS

Depression is frequently under-recognized in medical settings. Differential diagnoses include delirium, personality disorders and depressive disorders secondary to substances, medications or another medical condition. Depressive symptoms in the context of an adjustment disorder should be initially managed by supportive psychological approaches. Once a mild to moderate major depressive episode is identified, a stepped care approach should be implemented, starting with general psychoeducation, psychosocial interventions and ongoing monitoring. For moderate to severe symptoms, or mild symptoms that are not responding to low-intensity interventions, the use of antidepressants or higher intensity psychotherapeutic interventions should be considered. Psychotherapeutic interventions have demonstrated benefits with small to moderate effect sizes. Antidepressant medications have also demonstrated benefits with moderate effect sizes; however, special caution is needed in evaluating side effects, drug-drug interactions as well as dose adjustments due to impairment in hepatic metabolism and/or renal clearance. Novel interventions for the treatment of depression and other illness-related psychological symptoms (e.g. death anxiety, loss of dignity) are under investigation.

LIMITATIONS

Non-systematic review of the literature.

CONCLUSION

Replicated evidence has demonstrated a bidirectional interaction between depression and medical illness. Screening and stepped care using pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions is merited.

Identifying the Internalizing Disorder Clusters Among Recently Hospitalized Cardiovascular Disease Patients: A Receiver Operating Characteristics Study

Depression and anxiety disorders are common among cardiovascular disease (CVD) populations, leading several cardiology societies to recommend routine screening to streamline psychological interventions. However, it remains poorly understood whether routine screening in CVD populations identifies the broader groups of disorders that cluster together within individuals, known as anxious-misery and fear. This study examines the screening utility of four anxiety and depression questionnaires to identify the two internalizing disorder clusters; anxious-misery and fear. Patients with a recent hospital admission for CVD (n = 85, 69.4% males) underwent a structured clinical interview with the MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The participants also completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, Overall Anxiety Severity Impairment Scale (OASIS), and the stress subscale of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS). The PHQ-9 and the GAD-7 yielded appropriate screening properties to detect three different iterations of the anxious-misery cluster (sensitivity >80.95% and specificity >82.81%). The GAD-7 was the only instrument to display favorable screening properties to detect a fear cluster omitting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but including obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; sensitivity 81.25%, specificity 76.81%). These findings indicate that the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 could be implemented to reliably screen for anxious-misery disorders among CVD in-patients, however, the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) to detect fear disorders were contingent on the placement of PTSD and OCD within clusters. The findings are discussed in relation to routine screening guidelines in CVD populations and contemporary understandings of the internalizing disorders.

Effect of Depression Screening After Acute Coronary Syndromes on Quality of Life: The CODIACS-QoL Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance

Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and elevated depressive symptoms are at increased risk for recurrent cardiovascular events and mortality, worse quality of life, and higher health care costs. These observational findings prompted multiple scientific panels to advise universal depression screening in survivors of ACS prior to evidence from randomized screening trials.

Objective

To determine whether systematically screening for depression in survivors of ACS improves quality of life and depression compared with usual care.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A 3-group multisite randomized trial enrolled 1500 patients with ACS from 4 health care systems between November 1, 2013, and March 31, 2017, with follow-up ending July 31, 2018. Patients were eligible if they had been hospitalized for ACS in the previous 2 to 12 months and had no prior history of depression. All analyses were performed on an intention-to-treat basis.

Interventions

Patients with ACS were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to receive (1) systematic depression screening using the 8-item Patient Health Questionnaire, with notification of primary care clinicians and provision of centralized, patient-preference, stepped depression care for those with positive screening results (8-item Patient Health Questionnaire score ≥10; screen, notify, and treat, n = 499); (2) systematic depression screening, with notification of primary care clinicians for those with positive screening results (screen and notify, n = 501); and (3) usual care (no screening, n = 500).

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was change in quality-adjusted life-years. The secondary outcome was depression-free days. Adverse effects and mortality were assessed by patient interview and hospital records.

Results

A total of 1500 patients (424 women and 1076 men; mean [SD] age, 65.9 [11.5] years) were randomized in the 18-month trial. Only 71 of 1000 eligible survivors of ACS (7.1%) had elevated 8-item Patient Health Questionnaire scores indicating depressive symptoms at screening. There were no differences in mean (SD) change in quality-adjusted life-years (screen, notify and treat, -0.06 [0.20]; screen and notify, -0.06 [0.20]; no screen, -0.06 [0.18]; P = .98) or cumulative mean (SD) depression-free days (screen, notify and treat, 343.1 [179.0] days; screen and notify, 351.3 [175.0] days; no screen, 339.0 [176.6] days; P = .63). Harms including death, bleeding, or sleep difficulties did not differ among groups.

Conclusions and Relevance

In patients with ACS without a history of depression, systematic depression screening with or without providing depression treatment did not alter quality-adjusted life-years, depression-free days, or harms.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01993017.

Rationale, design, and baseline data for a multicenter randomized clinical trial comparing depression screening strategies after acute coronary syndrome: The comparison of depression identification after acute Coronary Syndromes-Quality of Life and Cost Outcomes (CODIACS-QOL) trial

BACKGROUND

Elevated depressive symptoms among survivors of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) confer recurrent cardiovascular events and mortality, worse quality of life, and higher healthcare costs. While multiple scientific groups advise routine depression screening for ACS survivors, no randomized trials exist to inform this screening recommendation. We aimed to assess the effect of screening for depression on change in quality of life over 18 months among ACS patients.

METHODS

The Comparison of Depression Identification after Acute Coronary Syndrome on Quality of Life and Cost Outcomes (CODIACS-QoL) trial is a pragmatic, 3-arm trial that randomized ACS patients to 1) systematic depression screening using the 8-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) and if positive screen (PHQ-8 ≥ 10), notification of primary care providers (PCPs) and invitation to participate in centralized, patient-preference, stepped depression care (Screen, Notify, and Treat, N = 499); 2) systematic depression screening and PCP notification only (Screen and Notify, N = 501); and 3) usual care (No Screen, N = 500). Adults hospitalized for ACS in the previous 2-12 months without prior history of depression were eligible for participation. Key outcomes will be quality-adjusted life years (primary), cost of health care utilization, and depression-free days across 18 months.

RESULTS

A total of 1500 patients were randomized in the CODIACS-QOL trial (28.3% women; 16.3% Hispanic; mean age 65.9 (11.5) years). Only 7% of ACS survivors had elevated depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Using a novel randomization schema and pragmatic design principles, the CODIACS-QoL trial achieved its enrollment target. Eventual results of this trial will inform future depression screening recommendations in cardiac patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01993017).

Screening for depression in acute coronary syndrome patients: A comparison of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 versus Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression

OBJECTIVE

To assess the reliability and criterion validity of Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) versus Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression (HADS-D) as screening instruments for depression in patients with the acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

METHODS

A total of 782 patients were recruited from four local hospitals. All of them completed the questionnaires of PHQ-9 and HADS-D. The measures of PHQ-9 and HADS-D were validated against the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), a gold diagnostic criterion for major depressive disorder (MDD).

RESULTS

Based upon the MINI, the prevalence of MDD was 15.6% in Chinese ACS patients. Two scales demonstrated excellent internal consistencies (Cronbach's α > 0.8). The diagnostic accuracy of PHQ-9 and HADS-D for diagnosing MDD was moderate with areas under receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve of 0.842 (95%CI: 0.806-0.894) and 0.813 (95%CI: 0.767-0.852), respectively. The optimal cutoff points of PHQ-9 and HADS-D for screening MDD were 10 and 9, respectively. Comparing the operating characteristics of PHQ-9 and HADS-D, the specificity was similar (84.7% vs. 85.5%, p = .40) while the sensitivity of PHQ-9 was significantly higher than HADS-D (86.9% vs. 76.2%, p = .001).

CONCLUSION

Chinese versions of PHQ-9 and HADS-D are reliable and valid screening instruments for MDD in ACS patients. The PHQ-9 performs better in minimizing missed diagnoses.

Screening and Management of Depression in Patients With Cardiovascular Disease: JACC State-of-the-Art Review

Depression is a common problem in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is associated with increased mortality, excess disability, greater health care expenditures, and reduced quality of life. Depression is present in 1 of 5 patients with coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, and heart failure. Depression complicates the optimal management of CVD by worsening cardiovascular risk factors and decreasing adherence to healthy lifestyles and evidence-based medical therapies. As such, standardized screening pathways for depression in patients with CVD offer the potential for early identification and optimal management of depression to improve health outcomes. Unfortunately, the burden of depression in patients with CVD is under-recognized; as a result, screening and management strategies targeting depression have been poorly implemented in patients with CVD. In this review, the authors discuss a practical approach for the screening and management of depression in patients with CVD.

Quality of health care with regard to detection and treatment of mental disorders in patients with coronary heart disease (MenDis-CHD): study protocol

BACKGROUND

Mental disorders (MD), such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive impairment, are highly prevalent in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Current guidelines on cardiovascular diseases recommend screening and appropriate treatment of MD; however, the degree of implementation of such recommendations in clinical practice is unknown. This study aims to analyze the quality of health care of patients with CHD and MD. Specifically, we aim to analyze (1) the quality of care, (2) trajectories of care, and (3) barriers regarding the detection and treatment of MD. Moreover, we want to identify potentials of changes in health care delivery towards more patient-centered care. The results of this study shall be the first step towards value-based care of people with CHD and comorbid mental disorders.

METHODS

We aim to include the following participants: adult patients with CHD (n = 400), their relatives (n = 350) and physicians (n = 80). A particular focus will be on the vulnerable subgroups of patients with CHD and congestive heart failure (left ventricular ejection fraction < 40%) and on the underrepresented group of women with CHD. We will apply a mixed-method approach with a quantitative and a qualitative part. Patient-related outcomes (e.g., health-related quality of life, needs, and preferences regarding health care, reasons for non-detection, and lack of treatment of MD) will be explored in a multi-perspective approach including patients, relatives, and physicians' perspectives. Furthermore, routine data from four statutory health insurance funds (SHI) will be analyzed regarding the frequency and treatment of MD in CHD patients.

DISCUSSION

MenDis-CHD will provide important insights into the trajectories of health care, quality of health care, barriers, patient needs and preferences as well as expectations and satisfaction with health care in patients with CHD and MD. Potential implications of MenDis-CHD are to enable health care providers to redesign care pathways concerning the treatment of mental comorbidity in patients with CHD by proposing value-based changes in health care and by understanding the barriers to and facilitators of change towards patient-centered care.

TRIALS REGISTRATION

German clinical trials register (Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien, DRKS) ieRegistration Number: DRKS00012434, date of registration: May 11th, 2017.

Antidepressant prescription in acute myocardial infarction is associated with increased mortality 1 year after discharge

AIMS

To assess the impact of antidepressant (AD) prescription at discharge on 1-year outcome of patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Switzerland.

METHODS

We used data from the AMIS Plus registry including patients admitted between March 2005 and August 2016 with AMI to a Swiss hospital who were followed up by telephone, 12 months after discharge. We compared patients who received AD medication at discharge with those who did not, with regard to baseline characteristics and outcomes in 1-year follow-ups using logistic regression. Outcome endpoints included mortality, re-hospitalisation, cerebrovascular events, re-infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass graft as well as pacemaker and/or cardioverter-defibrillator implantations. Additionally, work and daily life conditions were compared between the groups.

RESULTS

Among 8911 AMI patients, 565 (6.3%) received AD at discharge. These patients were predominantly female, older, experienced more often non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, were in higher Killip classes, and had more frequently hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, obesity and comorbidities. They underwent less frequently PCI, and stayed in hospital longer. The AD-receiving group had higher crude all-cause mortality at 1-year follow-up than the non-receiving group (7.4% vs 3.4%; p < .001) and AD prescription was an independent predictor for mortality (OR 1.67; CI: 1.17 to 2.40).

CONCLUSION

AD medication at discharge was associated with poorer prognosis in AMI patients at 1-year follow-up. However, this study has limited data on depression diagnosis and drug classes. Further research is needed to pinpoint the causes and underlying pathomechanisms for the higher mortality observed in this patient group.

Impact of preoperative physical activity and depressive symptoms on post-cardiac surgical outcomes

Objective

To determine the independent and combined impact of preoperative physical activity and depressive symptoms with hospital length of stay (HLOS), and postoperative re-hospitalization and mortality in cardiac surgery patients.

Methods

A cohort study including 405 elective and in-house urgent cardiac surgery patients were analyzed preoperatively. Physical activity was assessed with the International Physical Activity Questionnaire to categorize patients as active and inactive. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to evaluate preoperative depressive symptoms and categorize patients as depressed and not depressed. Patients were separated into four groups: 1) Not depressed/active (n = 209), 2) Depressed/active (n = 48), 3) Not depressed/inactive (n = 101), and 4) Depressed/inactive (n = 47). Administrative data captured re-hospitalization and mortality data, and were combined into a composite endpoint. Models adjusted for demographics, comorbidities, and cardiac surgery type. Multiple imputation was used to impute missing values.

Results

Preoperative physical activity behavior and depression were not associated with HLOS examined in isolation or when analyzed by the physical activity/depressive symptom groups. Physical inactivity (HR: 1.60, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.42; p = 0.03), but not depressive symptoms, was independently associated with the composite outcome. Freedom from the composite outcome were 76.1%, 87.5%, 68.0%, and 61.7% in the Not depressed/active, Depressed/active, Not depressed/inactive, and Depressed/inactive groups, respectively (P = 0.02). The Active/Depressed group had a lower risk of the composite outcome (HR: 0.35 95% CI 0.14 to 0.89; p = 0.03) compared to the other physical activity/depression groups.

Conclusion

Preoperative physical activity appears to be more important than depressive symptoms on short-term postoperative re-hospitalization and mortality.

Cost-Utility Analysis of Routine Anxiety and Depression Screening in Patients Consulting for Osteoarthritis: Results From a Clinical, Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the cost-effectiveness (cost-utility) of introducing general practitioner screening for anxiety and depression in patients consulting for osteoarthritis (OA).

METHODS

A cluster-randomized trial-based economic evaluation to assess general practitioners screening for anxiety and depression symptoms in patients consulting for OA compared to usual care (screening for pain intensity) was undertaken over a 12-month period from a UK National Health Service and societal perspective. Patient-level mean costs and mean quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) were estimated, and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves controlling for cluster-level data were constructed. The base-case analysis used the net benefit regressions approach. The 2-stage nonparametric sampling technique was explored in a sensitivity analysis.

RESULTS

The base-case analysis demonstrated that the intervention was as costly as, and less effective than, the control (QALY differential -0.029 [95% confidence interval -0.062, 0.003]). In the base-case analyses, general practitioner screening for anxiety and depression was unlikely to be a cost-effective option (probability <5% at £20,000/QALY). Similar results were observed in all sensitivity analyses.

CONCLUSION

Prompting general practitioners to routinely screen and manage comorbid anxiety and depression in patients presenting with OA is unlikely to be cost-effective. Further research is needed to explore clinically effective and cost-effective models of managing anxiety and depression in patients presenting with clinical OA.

Neurologists' Assessment of Mental Comorbidity in Patients With Vertigo and Dizziness in Routine Clinical Care-Comparison With a Structured Clinical Interview

Background: Mental health comorbidities are frequent in patients with vertigo and dizziness. The current study was conducted in a specialized interdisciplinary university center for vertigo and dizziness. Clinical routines consist of a structured work-up in which neuro-otological and neurological tests are performed to first detect possible organic vestibular deficits. In addition, psychiatric disorders and comorbidities are considered. The study aimed to evaluate neurologists' awareness of psychiatric next to somatic disorders within patients' first examination in terms of diagnostic congruence between neurologists' diagnoses and structured clinical assessment of mental disorders.

Methods: The study involved 392 patients. Diagnostic evaluation included (a) structured history-taking (including psychosocial anamnesis), neurological, and neuro-otological diagnostics conducted by neurologists and (b) a structured clinical interview for mental disorders (SCID-I) conducted by psychologists and final-year medical or psychology students. Cohen's Kappa was calculated to determine agreement rates regarding depression and anxiety disorders; additionally, sensitivity and specificity were evaluated.

Results: Neurologists' assessments led to at least one psychiatric diagnosis among the main diagnoses in 40 (10.2 %) patients, whereas the structured clinical interview led to at least one DSM-IV psychiatric diagnosis in 174 (44.4%) of the patients. Agreement was low (κ < 0.2); sensitivity was low (15%) but specificity was high (98%).

Conclusions: Agreement between the diagnosis of neurologists and structured clinical interviews for psychiatric disorders is low. Since psychiatric disorders are frequent in vertigo and dizziness and tend to take a chronic course, improving early recognition and implementing appropriate care concepts is vital.

Illness beliefs about depression among patients seeking depression care and patients seeking cardiac care: an exploratory analysis using a mixed method design

BACKGROUND

Treatment of depression in cardiac patients is difficult. Patients' illness beliefs regarding depression are associated with outcomes. The aim of the mixed-methods study was to test whether patients in routine care for depression differ from patients with depression in routine care for cardiac diseases regarding illness beliefs about depression.

METHODS

A consecutive sample of n = 217 patients with depressive disorder was recruited from routine care for depression (N = 148) and routine care for cardiac diseases (N = 69). Beliefs about depression were measured by the Brief-Illness Perception Questionnaire. Causal beliefs were categorized using qualitative methods. To investigate differences regarding other illness beliefs, we performed an ANCOVA controlling for sociodemographic and clinical differences by propensity score matching.

RESULTS

Patients in routine care for cardiac diseases attributed their depression more often to physical illnesses (48% vs. 16%) and less often to their self (30% vs. 47%), problems at work (25% vs. 35%), childhood (25% vs. 30%), and negative life events (19% vs. 25%) in contrast to patients in routine care for depression. Patients in routine care for cardiac diseases reported beliefs of lower disability, burden, and treatment-control and of higher self-control in contrast to patients in routine care for depression.

CONCLUSIONS

Illness beliefs especially causal beliefs differ between patients in routine care for cardiac diseases and routine care for depression. Future research should investigate effects of these illness beliefs. We recommend exploring patients' illness beliefs about depression in routine care for cardiac diseases and routine care for depression.

Relationship of depression screening in cardiometabolic disease with vascular events and mortality: findings from a large primary care cohort with 4 years follow-up

Aims

Benefits of routine depression screening for cardiometabolic disease patients remain unclear. We examined the association between depression screening and all-cause mortality and vascular events in cardiometabolic disease patients.

Methods and results

125 143 patients with cardiometabolic diseases (coronary heart disease, diabetes or previous stroke) in the UK participated in primary care chronic disease management in 2008/09, which included depression screening using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score. 10 670 receiving depression treatment exempted, 35 537 screened, while 78 936 not screened. We studied all-cause mortality and vascular events at 4 years, by electronic data linkage of 124 414 patients (99.4%) on primary care registers to hospital discharge and mortality records and used Cox proportional hazards on matched data using propensity score. Mean age for the screened and not screened population was 69 years (standard deviation-SD 11.9) and 67 years (SD 14.3), respectively; 58% (20 658) of the screened population were men and 65.3% (22 726) were socioeconomically deprived, compared with 54.2% (42 727) and 67.4% (51 686), respectively, in the not screened population. The screened population had lower all-cause mortality (Hazard Ratio-HR 0.89) and vascular events (HR 0.85) in the matched data of N = 21 893 patients each in the screened and the unscreened groups.

Conclusion

Depression screening was associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality and vascular events in patients with cardiometabolic diseases. The uptake of screening was poor for unknown reasons. Reverse causality and confounding by disease severity and quality of care are important possible limitations. Further research to determine reproducibility and explore underlying mechanisms is merited.

Optimal primary care management of clinical osteoarthritis and joint pain in older people: a mixed-methods programme of systematic reviews, observational and qualitative studies, and randomised controlled trials

Background

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common long-term condition managed in UK general practice. However, care is suboptimal despite evidence that primary care and community-based interventions can reduce OA pain and disability.

Objectives

The overall aim was to improve primary care management of OA and the health of patients with OA. Four parallel linked workstreams aimed to (1) develop a health economic decision model for estimating the potential for cost-effective delivery of primary care OA interventions to improve population health, (2) develop and evaluate new health-care models for delivery of core treatments and support for self-management among primary care consulters with OA, and to investigate prioritisation and implementation of OA care among the public, patients, doctors, health-care professionals and NHS trusts, (3) determine the effectiveness of strategies to optimise specific components of core OA treatment using the example of exercise and (4) investigate the effect of interventions to tackle barriers to core OA treatment, using the example of comorbid anxiety and depression in persons with OA.

Data sources

The North Staffordshire Osteoarthritis Project database, held by Keele University, was the source of data for secondary analyses in workstream 1.

Methods

Workstream 1 used meta-analysis and synthesis of published evidence about effectiveness of primary care treatments, combined with secondary analysis of existing longitudinal population-based cohort data, to identify predictors of poor long-term outcome (prognostic factors) and design a health economic decision model to estimate cost-effectiveness of different hypothetical strategies for implementing optimal primary care for patients with OA. Workstream 2 used mixed methods to (1) develop and test a ‘model OA consultation’ for primary care health-care professionals (qualitative interviews, consensus, training and evaluation) and (2) evaluate the combined effect of a computerised ‘pop-up’ guideline for general practitioners (GPs) in the consultation and implementing the model OA consultation on practice and patient outcomes (parallel group intervention study). Workstream 3 developed and investigated in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) how to optimise the effect of exercise in persons with knee OA by tailoring it to the individual and improving adherence. Workstream 4 developed and investigated in a cluster RCT the extent to which screening patients for comorbid anxiety and depression can improve OA outcomes. Public and patient involvement included proposal development, project steering and analysis. An OA forum involved public, patient, health professional, social care and researcher representatives to debate the results and formulate proposals for wider implementation and dissemination.

Results

This programme provides evidence (1) that economic modelling can be used in OA to extrapolate findings of cost-effectiveness beyond the short-term outcomes of clinical trials, (2) about ways of implementing support for self-management and models of optimal primary care informed by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recommendations, including the beneficial effects of training in a model OA consultation on GP behaviour and of pop-up screens in GP consultations on the quality of prescribing, (3) against adding enhanced interventions to current effective physiotherapy-led exercise for knee OA and (4) against screening for anxiety and depression in patients with musculoskeletal pain as an addition to current best practice for OA.

Conclusions

Implementation of evidence-based care for patients with OA is feasible in general practice and has an immediate impact on improving the quality of care delivered to patients. However, improved levels of quality of care, changes to current best practice physiotherapy and successful introduction of psychological screening, as achieved by this programme, did not substantially reduce patients’ pain and disability. This poses important challenges for clinical practice and OA research.

Limitations

The key limitation in this work is the lack of improvement in patient-reported pain and disability despite clear evidence of enhanced delivery of evidence-based care.

Future work recommendations

(1) New thinking and research is needed into the achievable and desirable long-term goals of care for people with OA, (2) continuing investigation into the resources needed to properly implement clinical guidelines for management of OA as a long-term condition, such as regular monitoring to maintain exercise and physical activity and (3) new research to identify subgroups of patients with OA as a basis for stratified primary care including (i) those with good prognosis who can self-manage with minimal investigation or specialist treatment, (ii) those who will respond to, and benefit from, specific interventions in primary care, such as physiotherapy-led exercise, and (iii) develop research into effective identification and treatment of clinically important anxiety and depression in patients with OA and into the effects of pain management on psychological outcomes in patients with OA.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN06984617, ISRCTN93634563 and ISRCTN40721988.

Funding

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Programme Grants for Applied Research Programme and will be published in full inProgramme Grants for Applied Research Programme; Vol. 6, No. 4. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Association of Depression and Anxiety With the 10-Year Risk of Cardiovascular Mortality in a Primary Care Population of Latvia Using the SCORE System

Background: Depression and anxiety have been recognized as independent risk factors for both the development and prognosis of cardiovascular (CV) diseases (CVD). The Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation (SCORE) function measures the 10-year risk of a fatal CVD and is a crucial tool for guiding CV patient management. This study is the first in Latvia to investigate the association of depression and anxiety with the 10-year CV mortality risk in a primary care population. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at 24 primary care facilities. During a 1-week period in 2015, all consecutive adult patients were invited to complete a nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and a seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) followed by sociodemographic questionnaire and physical measurements. The diagnostic Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) was administered by telephone in the period of 2 weeks after the first contact at the primary care facility. A hierarchical multivariate analysis was performed. Results: The study population consisted of 1,569 subjects. Depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 ≥10) were associated with a 1.57 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06-2.33) times higher odds of a very high CV mortality risk (SCORE ≥10%), but current anxiety disorder (M.I.N.I.) reduced the CV mortality risk with an odds ratio of 0.58 (95% CI: 0.38-0.90). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that individuals with SCORE ≥10% should be screened and treated for depression to potentially delay the development and improve the prognosis of CVD. Anxiety could possibly have a protective influence on CV prognosis.

General practitioners' awareness of depressive symptomatology is not associated with quality of life in heart failure patients - cross-sectional results of the observational RECODE-HF Study

BACKGROUND

Depression is a common comorbidity in patients with chronic heart failure (HF) and linked to a wider range of symptoms which, in turn, are linked to a decreased health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Treatment of depression might improve HRQOL but detecting depression is difficult due to the symptom overlap between HF and depression. Therefore, clinical guidelines recommend to routinely screen for depression in HF patients. No studies have so far investigated the treatment after getting aware of a depressive symptomatology and its correlation with HRQOL in primary care HF patients. Therefore, we examined the factors linked to depression treatment and those linked to HRQOL in HF patients. We hypothesized that GPs' awareness of depressive symptomatology was associated with depression treatment and HRQOL in HF patients.

METHODS

For this observational study, HF patients were recruited in primary care practices and filled out a questionnaire including PHQ-9 and HADS. A total of 574 patients screened positive for depressive symptomatology. Their GPs were interviewed by phone regarding the patients' comorbidities and potential depression treatment. Descriptive and regression analysis were performed.

RESULTS

GPs reported various types of depression treatments (including dialogue/counselling by the GP him/herself in 31.8% of the patients). The reported rates differed considerably between GP-reported initiated treatment and patient-reported utilised treatment regarding psychotherapy (16.4% vs. 9.5%) and pharmacotherapy (61.2% vs. 30.3%). The GPs' awareness of depressive symptomatology was significantly associated with the likelihood of receiving pharmacotherapy (OR 2.8; p < 0.001) but not psychotherapy. The patient's HRQOL was not significantly associated with the GPs' awareness of depression.

CONCLUSION

GPs should be aware of the gap between GP-initiated and patient-utilised depression treatments in patients with chronic HF, which might lead to an undersupply of depression treatment. It remains to be investigated why GPs' awareness of depressive symptomatology is not linked to patients' HRQOL. We hypothesize that GPs are aware of cases with reduced HRQOL (which improves under depression treatment) and unaware of cases whose depression do not significantly impair HRQOL, resulting in comparable levels of HRQOL in both groups. This hypothesis needs to be further investigated.

Depression Screening and Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

Depression screening among children and adolescents is controversial. In 2009, the United States Preventive Services Task Force first recommended routine depression screening for adolescents, and this recommendation was reiterated in 2016. However, no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of screening were identified in the original 2009 systematic review or in an updated review through February 2015. The objective of this systematic review was to provide a current evaluation to determine whether there is evidence from RCTs that depression screening in childhood and adolescence improves depression outcomes.

METHOD

Data sources included the MEDLINE, MEDLINE In-Process, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane CENTRAL and LILACS databases searched February 2, 2017. Eligible studies had to be RCTs that compared depression outcomes between children or adolescents aged 6 to 18 years who underwent depression screening and those who did not.

RESULTS

Of 552 unique title/abstracts, none received full-text review. No RCTs that investigated the effects of screening on depression outcomes in children or adolescents were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

There is no direct RCT evidence that supports depression screening among children and adolescents. Groups that consider recommending screening should carefully consider potential harms, as well as the use of scarce health resources, that would occur with the implementation of screening programs.

Diagnosis and Management of Noncardiac Complications in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association

Life expectancy and quality of life for those born with congenital heart disease (CHD) have greatly improved over the past 3 decades. While representing a great advance for these patients, who have been able to move from childhood to successful adult lives in increasing numbers, this development has resulted in an epidemiological shift and a generation of patients who are at risk of developing chronic multisystem disease in adulthood. Noncardiac complications significantly contribute to the morbidity and mortality of adults with CHD. Reduced survival has been documented in patients with CHD with renal dysfunction, restrictive lung disease, anemia, and cirrhosis. Furthermore, as this population ages, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and its risk factors are becoming increasingly prevalent. Disorders of psychosocial and cognitive development are key factors affecting the quality of life of these individuals. It is incumbent on physicians who care for patients with CHD to be mindful of the effects that disease of organs other than the heart may have on the well-being of adults with CHD. Further research is needed to understand how these noncardiac complications may affect the long-term outcome in these patients and what modifiable factors can be targeted for preventive intervention.

Anxiety and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: a Review

Unrecognized anxiety is a difficult clinical presentation in cardiology. Anxiety leads to recurring emergency department visits and the need for numerous diagnostic evaluations to rule out cardiovascular disease (CVD). This review focuses broadly on anxiety and its subtypes in relation to the onset and progression of CVD while describing helpful guidelines to better identify and treat anxiety. Potential mechanisms of cardiopathogenesis are also described. An emerging literature demonstrates that anxiety disorders increase the risk for incident CVD but a causal relationship has not been demonstrated. Anxiety portends adverse prognosis in persons with established CVD that is independent from depression. The level of clinical priority received by depression should be extended to research and clinical intervention efforts in anxiety. Anxiety holds direct relevance for uncovering mechanisms of cardiopathogenesis, developing novel therapeutic strategies, and initiating clinical interventions in the population at risk of developing heart disease, or those already diagnosed with CVD.

Depression, anxiety, and stress in patients with coronary heart disease

The analytical paper summarized the results of recent studies of an association of depression, anxiety, and stress with coronary heart disease (CHD). Mental disorders are shown to be associated with increased risk of CHD and to worsen the course of coronary disease. Antidepressants and psychotherapy improve the control of mental disorders, quality of life, and, in some cases, have a positive impact on the course of coronary disease.

CHOICE: Choosing Health Options In Chronic Care Emergencies

Background

Over 70% of the health-care budget in England is spent on the care of people with long-term conditions (LTCs), and a major cost component is unscheduled health care. Psychological morbidity is high in people with LTCs and is associated with a range of adverse outcomes, including increased mortality, poorer physical health outcomes, increased health costs and service utilisation.

Objectives

The aim of this programme of research was to examine the relationship between psychological morbidity and use of unscheduled care in people with LTCs, and to develop a psychosocial intervention that would have the potential to reduce unscheduled care use. We focused largely on emergency hospital admissions (EHAs) and attendances at emergency departments (EDs).

Design

A three-phase mixed-methods study. Research methods included systematic reviews; a longitudinal prospective cohort study in primary care to identify people with LTCs at risk of EHA or ED admission; a replication study in primary care using routinely collected data; an exploratory and feasibility cluster randomised controlled trial in primary care; and qualitative studies to identify personal reasons for the use of unscheduled care and factors in routine consultations in primary care that may influence health-care use. People with lived experience of LTCs worked closely with the research team.

Setting

Primary care. Manchester and London.

Participants

People aged ≥ 18 years with at least one of four common LTCs: asthma, coronary heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and diabetes. Participants also included health-care staff.

Results

Evidence synthesis suggested that depression, but not anxiety, is a predictor of use of unscheduled care in patients with LTCs, and low-intensity complex interventions reduce unscheduled care use in people with asthma and COPD. The results of the prospective study were that depression, not having a partner and life stressors, in addition to prior use of unscheduled care, severity of illness and multimorbidity, were independent predictors of EHA and ED admission. Approximately half of the cost of health care for people with LTCs was accounted for by use of unscheduled care. The results of the replication study, carried out in London, broadly supported our findings for risk of ED attendances, but not EHAs. This was most likely due to low rates of detection of depression in general practitioner (GP) data sets. Qualitative work showed that patients were reluctant to use unscheduled care, deciding to do so when they perceived a serious and urgent need for care, and following previous experience that unscheduled care had successfully and unquestioningly met similar needs in the past. In general, emergency and primary care doctors did not regard unscheduled care as problematic. We found there are missed opportunities to identify and discuss psychosocial issues during routine consultations in primary care due to the ‘overmechanisation’ of routine health-care reviews. The feasibility trial examined two levels of an intervention for people with COPD: we tried to improve the way in which practices manage patients with COPD and developed a targeted psychosocial treatment for patients at risk of using unscheduled care. The former had low acceptability, whereas the latter had high acceptability. Exploratory health economic analyses suggested that the practice-level intervention would be unlikely to be cost-effective, limiting the value of detailed health economic modelling.

Limitations

The findings of this programme may not apply to all people with LTCs. It was conducted in an area of high social deprivation, which may limit the generalisability to more affluent areas. The response rate to the prospective longitudinal study was low. The feasibility trial focused solely on people with COPD.

Conclusions

Prior use of unscheduled care is the most powerful predictor of unscheduled care use in people with LTCs. However, psychosocial factors, particularly depression, are important additional predictors of use of unscheduled care in patients with LTCs, independent of severity and multimorbidity. Patients and health-care practitioners are unaware that psychosocial factors influence health-care use, and such factors are rarely acknowledged or addressed in consultations or discussions about use of unscheduled care. A targeted patient intervention for people with LTCs and comorbid depression has shown high levels of acceptability when delivered in a primary care context. An intervention at the level of the GP practice showed little evidence of acceptability or cost-effectiveness.

Future work

The potential benefits of case-finding for depression in patients with LTCs in primary care need to be evaluated, in addition to further evaluation of the targeted patient intervention.

Funding

The National Institute for Health Research Programme Grants for Applied Research programme.

Psychosocial risk factors in relation to other cardiovascular risk factors in coronary heart disease: Results from the EUROASPIRE IV survey. A registry from the European Society of Cardiology

Background Depression and anxiety are established psychosocial risk factors for coronary heart disease. Contemporary data on their prevalence and associations with other risk factors were evaluated as part of the EUROASPIRE IV survey. Design The design of this study was cross-sectional. Methods The study group consisted of 7589 patients from 24 European countries examined at a median of 1.4 years after hospitalisation due to coronary heart disease events. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results Symptoms of anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety score ≥8) were seen in 26.3% of participants and were more prevalent in women (39.4%) vs men (22.1%). Of the patients, 22.4% (30.6% of women and 19.8% of men) had symptoms of depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression score ≥8). Nevertheless, antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications were prescribed to only 2.4% of patients at hospital discharge, and 2.7% and 5.0% of patients, respectively, continued to take them at interview. Both anxiety and depression were associated with female gender, lower educational level and more sedentary lifestyle. Anxiety was more prevalent in younger age groups and depression rates increased with advancing age. Depression was positively associated with current smoking, central obesity and self-reported diabetes. A number of positive lifestyle changes reduced the odds of anxiety and depression. Conclusions A substantial proportion of patients have anxiety and depression symptoms after coronary heart disease events but these conditions are undertreated. These disorders, especially depression, are associated with other risk factors, including educational level, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, unhealthy diet and reduced compliance with risk factor modification.

Validity of the European Society of Cardiology's Psychosocial Screening Interview in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease-The THORESCI Study

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to examine the validity of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) psychosocial screening instrument.

METHODS

A total of 508 acute (67%) or elective (33%) percutaneous coronary intervention patients (mean [standard deviation]age = 63 [10] years, 81% male) completed the ESC screening interview and established questionnaires for psychosocial risk markers, that is, depression (Patient Health Questionnaire 9), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire 7), type D personality (Type D Scale 14), hostility (Cook-Medley Hostility Scale 7), and marital/work stress (Maudsley Marital Quality Questionnaire 6, Effort-Reward Imbalance Scale) during or close after hospital admission. At 1-year follow-up, angina and cardiopulmonary symptoms were assessed.

RESULTS

Prevalence estimates of psychosocial factors based on the ESC screener were as follows: depression (18%), anxiety (33%), negative affectivity (11%), social inhibition (41%), work stress (17%), marital stress (2%), and hostility (38%). Analysis of correspondence with validated questionnaires revealed fair to moderate agreement (depression [κ = .39], anxiety [κ = .23], type D personality [κ = .21]), regardless of percutaneous coronary intervention indication. For work and marital stress, there was poor to fair performance (κ range = .04-.24); agreement for hostility was poor (κ = -.27). A positive ESC screen for depression, anxious tension, and type D personality was associated with more angina and cardiopulmonary symptoms at follow-up (odds ratios ranging between 1.85 (95% confidence interval = 0.84-4.08) and 8.01 (95% confidence interval = 2.35-27.35).

CONCLUSIONS

The ESC screener contributes to the search for a multidimensional and easy-to-use psychosocial screening instrument for cardiac patients. Although the screener, in its current form, may not be sufficiently valid to reliably detect all predefined psychosocial factors, screening scores for depression and anxiety might be useful in clinical practice. Our findings can be used for further refinement and validation of the screener.

An Analysis of the Prevalence of Depression Post-Myocardial Infarction

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of death in the United States. The World Bank and the World Health Organization predict that depression and coronary heart disease will be the largest causes of global health burden and disability by the year 2020. Studies have demonstrated that patients with CAD experience depression at a higher rate than the general population. Because of this connection, it is critical to recognize depression and manage depression effectively for people with CAD. Studies have also provided evidence that identifying and treating depression in patients early after a myocardial infarction improve clinical outcomes. In addition, a number of studies have discussed the negative effects that can occur from untreated depression in these patients. The cited negative effects include mortality, recurrent myocardial events, and a worse quality of life. This article discusses the results of a research that was completed at a cardiology office using a retroactive medical record review that focused on outpatients with cardiac diseases. The primary aim of the study was to collect data using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), a public domain screening tool. This research was intended to provide evidence that would support using the PHQ-9 as a standard depression screening tool for patients post-myocardial infarction. By recognizing the symptoms of depression, the patient would then be treated accordingly.

The effects of implementing a point-of-care electronic template to prompt routine anxiety and depression screening in patients consulting for osteoarthritis (the Primary Care Osteoarthritis Trial): A cluster randomised trial in primary care

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate whether prompting general practitioners (GPs) to routinely assess and manage anxiety and depression in patients consulting with osteoarthritis (OA) improves pain outcomes.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

We conducted a cluster randomised controlled trial involving 45 English general practices. In intervention practices, patients aged ≥45 y consulting with OA received point-of-care anxiety and depression screening by the GP, prompted by an automated electronic template comprising five questions (a two-item Patient Health Questionnaire-2 for depression, a two-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 questionnaire for anxiety, and a question about current pain intensity [0-10 numerical rating scale]). The template signposted GPs to follow National Institute for Health and Care Excellence clinical guidelines for anxiety, depression, and OA and was supported by a brief training package. The template in control practices prompted GPs to ask the pain intensity question only. The primary outcome was patient-reported current pain intensity post-consultation and at 3-, 6-, and 12-mo follow-up. Secondary outcomes included pain-related disability, anxiety, depression, and general health. During the trial period, 7,279 patients aged ≥45 y consulted with a relevant OA-related code, and 4,240 patients were deemed potentially eligible by participating GPs. Templates were completed for 2,042 patients (1,339 [31.6%] in the control arm and 703 [23.1%] in the intervention arm). Of these 2,042 patients, 1,412 returned questionnaires (501 [71.3%] from 20 intervention practices, 911 [68.0%] from 24 control practices). Follow-up rates were similar in both arms, totalling 1,093 (77.4%) at 3 mo, 1,064 (75.4%) at 6 mo, and 1,017 (72.0%) at 12 mo. For the primary endpoint, multilevel modelling yielded significantly higher average pain intensity across follow-up to 12 mo in the intervention group than the control group (adjusted mean difference 0.31; 95% CI 0.04, 0.59). Secondary outcomes were consistent with the primary outcome measure in reflecting better outcomes as a whole for the control group than the intervention group. Anxiety and depression scores did not reduce following the intervention. The main limitations of this study are two potential sources of bias: an imbalance in cluster size (mean practice size 7,397 [intervention] versus 5,850 [control]) and a difference in the proportion of patients for whom the GP deactivated the template (33.6% [intervention] versus 27.8% [control]).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we observed no beneficial effect on pain outcomes of prompting GPs to routinely screen for and manage comorbid anxiety and depression in patients presenting with symptoms due to OA, with those in the intervention group reporting statistically significantly higher average pain scores over the four follow-up time points than those in the control group.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN registry ISRCTN40721988.

Depression Treatment and 1-Year Mortality After Acute Myocardial Infarction: Insights From the TRIUMPH Registry (Translational Research Investigating Underlying Disparities in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients' Health Status)

BACKGROUND

Depression among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is prevalent and associated with an adverse quality of life and prognosis. Despite recommendations from some national organizations to screen for depression, it is unclear whether treatment of depression in patients with AMI is associated with better outcomes. We aimed to determine whether the prognosis of patients with treated versus untreated depression differs.

METHODS

The TRIUMPH study (Translational Research Investigating Underlying Disparities in Acute Myocardial Infarction Patients' Health Status) is an observational multicenter cohort study that enrolled 4062 patients aged ≥18 years with AMI between April 11, 2005, and December 31, 2008, from 24 US hospitals. Research coordinators administered the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) during the index AMI admission. Depression was defined by a PHQ-9 score of ≥10. Depression was categorized as treated if there was documentation of a discharge diagnosis, medication prescribed for depression, or referral for counseling, and as untreated if none of these 3 criteria was documented in the medical records despite a PHQ score ≥10. One-year mortality was compared between patients with AMI having: (1) no depression (PHQ-9<10; reference); (2) treated depression; and (3) untreated depression adjusting for demographics, AMI severity, and clinical factors.

RESULTS

Overall, 759 (18.7%) patients met PHQ-9 criteria for depression and 231 (30.4%) were treated. In comparison with 3303 patients without depression, the 231 patients with treated depression had 1-year mortality rates that were not different (6.1% versus 6.7%; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 0.63-1.99). In contrast, the 528 patients with untreated depression had higher 1-year mortality in comparison with patients without depression (10.8% versus 6.1%; adjusted hazard ratio, 1.91; 95% confidence interval, 1.39-2.62).

CONCLUSIONS

Although depression in patients with AMI is associated with increased long-term mortality, this association may be confined to patients with untreated depression.

Depression screening with patient-targeted feedback in cardiology: DEPSCREEN-INFO randomised clinical trial

BACKGROUND

International guidelines advocate depression screening in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and other chronic illnesses, but evidence is lacking.

AIMS

To test the differential efficacy of written patient-targeted feedback v. no written patient feedback after depression screening.

METHOD

Patients with CHD or hypertension from three cardiology settings were randomised and screened for depression (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01879111). Compared with the control group, where only cardiologists received written feedback, in the intervention group both cardiologists and patients received written feedback regarding depression status. Depression severity was measured 1 month (primary outcome) and 6 months after screening.

RESULTS

The control group (n = 220) and the patient-feedback group (n = 155) did not differ in depression severity 1 month after screening. Six months after screening, the patient-feedback group showed significantly greater improvements in depression severity and was twice as likely to seek information about depression compared with the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient-targeted feedback in addition to screening has a significant but small effect on depression severity after 6 months and may encourage patients to take an active role in the self-management of depression.