Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #115155

Amy K. Ferketich, PhD, Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The Ohio State University School of Public Health, B-116 Starling-Loving Hall, 320 West 10th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, 614-293-4387, ferketich.1@osu.edu and Philip F. Binkley, MD, MPH, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and the Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, The Ohio State University, 110 Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, 473 West 12th Ave, Columbus, OH 43210.

Aims: The objective of this study was to examine the burden of psychological distress among individuals with coronary heart disease (CHD), myocardial infarction (MI), and congestive heart failure (CHF) in a large representative sample of adults age 40 years and older. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey, which is a large annual survey of the U.S. non-institutionalized civilian population. Psychological distress was assessed with a standardized questionnaire (K6) and heart disease diagnoses were based on self-report. Within each heart disease condition, both the prevalence and the total number of individuals with an elevated K6 score were estimated. Odds ratios (OR) for an elevated K6 score were calculated for each heart disease condition using logistic regression. All models were fit accounting for the sampling design and statistical weights. Results: Among non-diseased individuals, the estimated prevalence of psychological distress was 2.8%, whereas the estimates were 10%, 6.4%, and 4.1% among those with CHF, MI, and CHD, respectively. Over 1 million individuals in the U.S. with heart disease experience psychological distress, but only 31-35% have visited a mental health professional. The logistic regression results indicate that MI (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.4 – 3.0) and CHF (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.8 – 5.1) are significantly associated with psychological distress. Conclusions: These findings imply that psychological distress is an important condition that must be assessed in individuals with cardiovascular disease. Physicians should utilize screening tools to measure distress and work closely with mental health professionals to treat symptoms.

Learning Objectives: Following this presentation, the audience will be able to

• Describe the relation between psychological distress and heart disease.
• Recognize that there is a great underutilization of mental health services among heart disease patients with psychological distress.
• List ways to improve the detection of psychological distress among physicians and other healthcare providers who treat patients with heart disease.

Keywords: Heart Disease, Psychiatric Epidemiology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.