Women more likely than men to have mood disorder, PTSD after cardiac arrest
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Key takeaways:
- In those who survived cardiac arrest, women were more likely than men to report mood disorders or have PTSD symptoms.
- More support may need to be given to women who have survived cardiac arrest.
Among cardiac arrest survivors, women were more likely to report anxiety, depressive symptoms and PTSD than men, researchers reported at the European Society of Cardiology’s Acute Cardiovascular Care congress.
“Cardiac arrest occurs with little or no warning and it’s common to feel anxious and low afterwards,” Jesper Kjaergaard, MD, PhD, DMSc, consultant cardiologist at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark, said in a press release. “After the initial shock and confusion, patients and their families have an abrupt change in their way of life, with medical investigations to determine the cause of cardiac arrest and in some cases diagnosis of a condition requiring treatment. This may add to the stress and anxiety. Our study indicates that women are more affected psychologically and could be targeted for extra support.”
Data were derived from Kragh A, et al. Moderated ePosters 2. Presented at: ESC Acute Cardiovascular Care; March 24-26, 2023; Marseille, France (hybrid meeting).
The researchers conducted a prospective, observational study of 245 cardiac arrest survivors (18% women) who attended a follow-up visit at a median of 4 months (interquartile range, 3-8). At the visit, participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), in which a score of 8 to 10 suggests possible presence of a mood disorder and a score of 11 or more suggests probable presence of a mood disorder. Participants were also administered the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), a self-reported 20-item measure of PTSD symptoms on a scale of 0 to 80.
Depression levels in women were higher than in men (3.3 vs. 2.6 on HADS; P < .0001), as were anxiety levels (6.1 vs. 4.5 on HADS; P < .0001), the researchers found.
Anxiety scores of 8 or more were achieved by 43% of women and 23% of men (P = .007), whereas anxiety scores of 8 to 10, suggesting possible anxiety, were achieved by 23% of women and 11% of men (P = .007), and anxiety scores of 11 or more, suggesting probable anxiety, were achieved by 20% of women and 12% of men (P = .02), according to the researchers.
Women also reported higher levels of PTSD than men (median PCL-5 scores, 33 vs. 26; P < .0001), Kjaergaard and colleagues found.
In addition, anxiety was correlated with PTSD (correlation coefficient, 0.81; P < .0001), according to the researchers.
“The findings confirm our experience in clinical practice that the psychological effects of cardiac arrest persist for months,” Kjaergaard said in the release. “Anxiety was frequent, particularly in women. Our results highlight the need for long-term follow-up of cardiac arrest survivors to identify and treat mental health issues. Patients should be encouraged to tell their health care professional about anxiety, depression and stress related to the cardiac arrest. Future studies are needed to investigate whether talking to a professional can help alleviate psychological symptoms.”
Reference:
- European Society of Cardiology. www.escardio.org/The-ESC/Press-Office/Press-releases/women-are-more-likely-to-experience-long-term-anxiety-after-cardiac-arrest-than. Published March 26, 2023. Accessed March 28, 2023.
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Kragh A, et al. Moderated ePosters 2. Presented at: ESC Acute Cardiovascular Care; March 24-26, 2023; Marseille, France (hybrid meeting).
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