The matched pairs were on average 58.2 years old and had similar health behaviors and health status. Ninety-five percent of those who experienced a cardiovascular event were men.
Of the matched pairs, 4,876 (1.8%) developed new-onset depression during the study period. However, the number was higher among spouses of people who had a cardiovascular event, and this association remained strong even when researchers took into account age, gender, spouse’s age, income, and other demographic factors. persisted.
Overall, spouses of people who had a cardiovascular event had a 13 to 14 percent higher risk of depression than their spouses. People whose spouse had a stroke or heart failure had a higher risk than people whose spouse had a heart attack.
Large sample sizes and statistical methods fill gaps in knowledge about the mental health of spouses of people with poor heart health, the researchers wrote. They point out that when a partner suffers a cardiovascular event, spouses must contend with increased caregiving burdens, financial costs, grief, and stigma. They are calling for comprehensive primary care for such spouses, better collaboration between cardiologists and psychiatrists, and more support within the community.
Future research should extend beyond spouses to include family members and other caretakers, two Chinese public health experts wrote in the report. Editor Also published in JAMA Network Open. They argue that this study should prompt readers to consider both the resilience and coping mechanisms of caregivers after such events occur.
