Depression after heart attack

Perception of threat crucial for recovery

According to a recent research publication, according to refer patients who feel immediately after their heart attack this as a strong threat to a higher risk of depression. The results of this study may contribute decisively to better care for heart patients.

“Heart attack survivors are three times more likely to develop depression than people without heart disease in the first six months after their heart attack. Without treatment, the prognosis worsens and leads, for example, to further cardiac events and possibly death. The causes for the frequent occurrence of depression after heart attacks are still unclear ”, says Prof. Claus Vögele, first author and professor for clinical psychology and health psychology at the University of Luxembourg.

36 heart patients were five to fifteen days after their first heart attack, six to eight weeks later and again six months later questioned about their disease-specific symptoms and their fatigue, general health, work and family. Depression is rated questionnaires depression diagnoses have been based on a structured clinical interview. To examine the individual strategies of the patients for the processing of their experiences, she was asked, among other things, how often and intensely they brood over the heart attack, or if they minimize the experienced threat, they try for collecting information or make sense in the Search religion.

The results are among the first to show that the way in which patients deal with a heart attack, have a direct impact on the likelihood of depression. If they continue to carry out the heart attack, for example, as a serious threat, they are more likely - even for weeks after infarction - suffering from depression. If the patients on the other to find ways to focus on her recovery, and friends and family can ask for assistance, the depression risk is much lower.

"With these results, patients can be helped to a more positive outlook on life, even after such a life-threatening event," explains Prof. Vögele, who heads a research group on self-regulation and health at the University of Luxembourg. "Psychological assistance in the period immediately after infarction, for example, in the first two weeks can protect patients from a depression and so contribute to a successful recovery."

For more information, please visit

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3465981/ - Link to the publication "" Cardiac Threat Appraisal and depression after First Myocardial Infarction. "

Source: Luxembourg [Université du Luxembourg]