BACKGROUND: General practitioners (GPs) are often the first to assess mental health difficulties after acute coronary syndrome (ACS). AIMS: To determine whether GPs observed an increase in mental health difficulties one-year post-hospitalisation for ACS. METHODS: Postal survey. RESULTS: GPs rated patients (n = 442) as having probable (GP assessed 10%) or definite (formally assessed 7%) mental health difficulties pre-hospitalisation. Post-hospitalisation the prevalence of probable cases increased significantly to 19% (OR = 4.3, 95% CI 2.1-10.2, P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, only smoking at index hospitalisation was associated with being assessed as a new case of probable/formal mental health difficulties (RR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.3-3.4, P = 0.003). Forty-seven percent of cases were prescribed some medication for this problem. CONCLUSIONS: GPs recorded a significant increase in mental health difficulties in ACS patients 12 months after hospitalisation, with smoking used as an indicator of new cases.
BACKGROUND: General practitioners (GPs) are often the first to assess mental health difficulties after acute coronary syndrome (ACS). AIMS: To determine whether GPs observed an increase in mental health difficulties one-year post-hospitalisation for ACS. METHODS: Postal survey. RESULTS: GPs rated patients (n = 442) as having probable (GP assessed 10%) or definite (formally assessed 7%) mental health difficulties pre-hospitalisation. Post-hospitalisation the prevalence of probable cases increased significantly to 19% (OR = 4.3, 95% CI 2.1-10.2, P < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, only smoking at index hospitalisation was associated with being assessed as a new case of probable/formal mental health difficulties (RR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.3-3.4, P = 0.003). Forty-seven percent of cases were prescribed some medication for this problem. CONCLUSIONS: GPs recorded a significant increase in mental health difficulties in ACS patients 12 months after hospitalisation, with smoking used as an indicator of new cases.
Authors: Neil Schneiderman; Patrice G Saab; Diane J Catellier; Lynda H Powell; Robert F DeBusk; Redford B Williams; Robert M Carney; James M Raczynski; Marie J Cowan; Lisa F Berkman; Peter G Kaufmann Journal: Psychosom Med Date: 2004 Jul-Aug Impact factor: 4.312
Authors: Hannah M McGee; Frank Doyle; Ronán M Conroy; Davida De La Harpe; Emer Shelley Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2006-02-13 Impact factor: 2.655