The effect of gender on anxiety and depressive symptoms in Turkish cardiac rehabilitation patients

Abstract

Aim:This study was performed to investigate the gender differences of anxiety and depressive symptoms in Turkish cardiac rehabilitation (CR) patients. We also aimed to reveal the gender differences of functionality status before and after CR. Material and Methods: 53 patients who met the inclusion criteria were recruited. Depression was measured using Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI), anxiety was measured with the State and Trait Anxiety Inventories (STAI I-II) and functional status was measured with The Dartmouth Primary Care Cooperative Information Project (COOP) and at two points in time: before and after CR. After measuring anxiety, depression and functional status in both groups , participated in 36 cardiac rehabilitation sessions over a 12- week period. At the end, anxiety and depression were measured again. Physiological values, such as maximum exercise capacity (METs), average METs, maximum heart rate (HR), average HR, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), were recorded before and after CR. Results: There are statistically difference between the percent changes of average METs, maximum METs, BDI and STAI I-II scores for male and female participants. There is no statistical difference among HR, maximum HR and LVEF. Feelings, daily activities, social activities and total COOP scores were statistically significant between female and male patients. Conclusion: Findings have shed light on cardiac rehabilitation for Turkish cardiac patients. According to the result, men are more likely to benefit from CR than women in depressive and anxiety symptoms. Our study also revealed that before CR women had worse functional status.