Sullivan M, LaCroix A, Russo J, Swords E, Sornson M, Katon W
Center for Health Studies and Group Health Cooperative, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Psychosomatics. 1999 Jul-Aug;40(4):286-92. doi: 10.1016/S0033-3182(99)71220-X.
The purpose of this study was to determine the threshold at which depression becomes important for the daily functioning of patients with heart disease. Data from a 1-year prospective cohort study of health maintenance organization patients undergoing coronary angiography for coronary heart disease were analyzed for differences in a standardized composite measure of functioning. Patients with major depression (N = 19) and patients with minor depression (N = 28) were significantly more functionally impaired at baseline and at 1-year follow-up than those with no depression (N = 110). The major and minor depression groups did not differ significantly. The significance of the depression group differences was reduced, but not eliminated, when controlling for differences in reported heart symptoms.
