Abstract
Objective: To assess the relationship between stressful life events and depression among cardiovascular patients along with the
evaluation of differences based on demographic variables.
Study Design: Quantitative cross sectional study.
Place and Duration: From 15th February 2017 to 12th July 2017 at Multan Institute of Cardiology and the cardiology ward of Nishtar
Hospital Multan.
Methodology: The data was collected through structured questionnaires from 200 cardiovascular patients. The Holmes-Rahe life
stress inventory (43 life events to be scored by the patients) was used to measure stressful life events while Beck depression
inventory (BDI) having 21 items was used to measure depression level of the patients. Pearson product moment test was used to
assess the relationship between stressful life events and depression.
Results: Among 200 cardiovascular patients a positive correlation (.271) between depression and stressful life events was detected.
Majority of the patients (45.5%) reported minimal level of depression while 16.5 percent patients reported mild depression and 19.5
% patients had severe depression. Cardiovascular patients in early middle adulthood were less stressed out as compared to early
adulthood and later adulthood patients (p=.033*). Level of depression is higher in those cardiovascular patients who have very low
income as well as very high income (p=0.006).
Conclusions: Stressful life events are positively associated with depression in cardiovascular patients. Moreover, depression and
stress level significantly differ in cardiovascular patients with different age, income level and marital status.
Ruqia Safdar Bajwa ,, Khansa Mubashir. (2019) Association of stressful life events and depression among cardiovascular patients: A quantitative cross sectional study, Isra Medical Journal, Volume 11, Issue 4 (Part-B).
-
Views
664 -
Downloads
86
