| Popis: |
Reduced adherence to medical treatment regimens has been reported among depressed patients with heart disease. Given that depression is associated with increased risk of mortality among cardiac patients, poor medical adherence, such as failure to complete a cardiac rehabilitation (CR) program may help to explain this relationship. The present study examined the hypothesis that increased levels of depression would be associated with a failure to complete a 12-week phase-II CR program. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was prospectively administered to 600 patients at the time of enrollment in a phase-II CR program and program completion was coded based on number of sessions attended and patient’s meeting discharge criteria. A logistic regression showed that depressed patients were 2.2 times less likely to complete CR compared to non-depressed patients, after controlling for age and gender. Lower completion rates by patients who reported higher levels of depression supports the theory that treatment adherence may be a mechanism by which depression is associated with increased mortality among cardiac patients. |
