Prevalence of Anxiety, Depression and Stress in Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases: A Prospective Study in Cardiology Ward of Tertiary Care Hospital

Background: Psychological problems of a person have a direct physiological effect on the elicitation of cardiac disease and these mental disorders add burden in managing cardiovascular diseases. There is a high incidence of mental disorders predominantly Depression, Anxiety and Stress in patients with cardiovascular disease. Few behavioral and biological factors are recognized as mechanisms causing the depression, which may further lead to cardiac complications. Chronic stress or severe psychological trauma can intensify the risk of developing CVD. Materials and Methods: We have made an attempt to determine the prevalence of Anxiety, Depression and Stress in patients diagnosed with cardiovascular diseases. It is a prospective observational study performed in Cardiology ward of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital (MGMH), Warangal, India. The duration of the study was six months and includes 961 patients with different cardiovascular diseases. Standardized questionnaires were used to assess the Depression, Anxiety and Stress conditions. From the study, it is evident that all the three psychological symptoms were present in patients diagnosed with cardiac problems. Results and Conclusion: The prevalence of depression was observed as Mild depression-32.6%, Severe depression- 39%, No depression- 28.3%; Anxiety at a pattern of Minimal anxiety-18%, Mild anxiety-26.3%, Moderate anxiety- 27.2%, Severe anxiety-28.4%; and whereas Stress at 30% likelihood of developing an illness in near future was 46.7%, 50% likelihood of developing an illness in near future was 44.3%, 80% likelihood of developing an illness in near future was observed as 8.9%. Prevalence of Severe depression, severe anxiety and 30% likelihood of developing an illness in near future in patients diagnosed with various CVDs was 39%, 28.4%, 46.7% respectively.