Utility of observer-rated and self-report instruments for detecting major depression in women after cardiac surgery: a pilot study.

Background: Major depression is common after coronary artery bypass graft surgery and is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Clinicians have few practical options for detecting depression, especially in women, who are at higher risk for depression than men.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical utility of common self-report and observer-rated instruments for detection of major depression in women after coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

Clinical depression in women after cardiac surgery.

Background And Research Objective: After coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), women are particularly vulnerable to depression because they are more socially isolated and are more likely to have preoperative mood disorders than men. The purpose of this study was to (1) describe the incidence and course of clinical depression in women during the first 6 months after CABG; (2) describe the frequency of depressive symptoms after CABG in women; and (3) identify factors associated with post-CABG depression in women.

Subjects And Methods: Before hospital discharge, 75 women undergoing CABG for the first time participated in a semistructured interview to determine the presence of major or minor depression using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition, criteria.