Prevalence of anxiety and depression three months after myocardial infarction

Although anxiety and depressive symptoms have negative effects on prognosis following myocardial infarction (MI), the studies about prevalence of these symptoms in the months after MI are limited. The aim of this study was to determine prevalence of anxiety, depressive symptoms at three months after MI among post-MI patients. In a cross sectional study 176 consecutive patients following MI admitted to the CCU wards of hospitals in Isfahan were selected during the first five months of 2012. At three months after MI Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were completed by the MI patients. Then the patients were divided into with and without depressive symptoms and with and without anxiety symptoms regarding the cutoff point in both subscales. The means and standard division of anxiety and depression subscales were 5.7 (4.27) and 6.04 (4.57) respectively. The means and standard division depression scores among patients with and without depressive symptoms were 10.88 (2.77) and 3 (2.26) respectively, and among patients with and without anxiety symptoms were 10.34 (3.45) and 4.08 (3.57) respectively. Also the means and standard division of anxiety symptoms among patients with and without depressive symptoms were 9.13 (4.05) and 3.55 (2.71) respectively, and among patients with and without anxiety symptoms were 11.02 (2.6) and 3.29 (2.17) respectively. 31.3% and 38.6% of patients were with anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms, respectively. Generally, the findings showed that symptoms of anxiety and depression are many common among the post MI patients.