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Spousal depression, anxiety, and suicide after myocardial infarction.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Fosbøl, EL; Peterson, ED; Weeke, P; Wang, TY; Mathews, R; Kober, L; Thomas, L; Gislason, GH; Torp-Pedersen, C
Published in: Eur Heart J
March 2013

AIMS: Death of a spouse from acute myocardial infarction (AMI) presents hardship, yet few studies have investigated the psychological consequences of fatal and non-fatal AMI on spouses. METHODS AND RESULTS: Several Danish national registries were linked to identify individuals whose spouses had a fatal or non-fatal AMI. Married patients with fatal or non-fatal AMI (1997-2008) were matched with their counterparts dying or hospitalized with a non-AMI cause; incident use of antidepressants and benzodiazepines, incident depression care, and suicides were compared pre- and post-event using Poisson models. Overall, 16 506 spouses of individuals dying of AMI were matched with 49 518 spouses of individuals dying of a non-AMI cause. Similarly, 44 566 spouses of individuals with a non-fatal AMI were matched with 131 563 spouses of individuals with a non-fatal, non-AMI hospitalization. Those whose spouse died of AMI (compared with a non-AMI cause) had increased antidepressant and benzodiazepine use [peak incidence rate ratio (IRR) 5.7 vs. 3.3, and 46.4 vs. 13.0, respectively; P< 0.001]. Those whose spouse had a non-fatal AMI (compared with a non-AMI hospitalization) had increased risk for antidepressant and benzodiazepine initiation (IRR 1.5 vs. 1.1, and 6.7 vs. 1.3, respectively, P< 0.001). Spouses of fatal AMI patients also had an increased risk of depression and suicide. Male individuals whose spouse had a fatal or non-fatal AMI had a relatively higher increased risk of depression than female individuals. CONCLUSION: Spouses of those who experience AMIs-both fatal and non-fatal-are at elevated risk for psychological consequences; therefore, the care needs of AMI patients and their spouses need to be considered.

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Published In

Eur Heart J

DOI

EISSN

1522-9645

Publication Date

March 2013

Volume

34

Issue

9

Start / End Page

649 / 656

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Suicide
  • Spouses
  • Sex Distribution
  • Risk Factors
  • Registries
  • Prognosis
  • Myocardial Infarction
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans
 

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Fosbøl, E. L., Peterson, E. D., Weeke, P., Wang, T. Y., Mathews, R., Kober, L., … Torp-Pedersen, C. (2013). Spousal depression, anxiety, and suicide after myocardial infarction. Eur Heart J, 34(9), 649–656. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehs242
Fosbøl, Emil L., Eric D. Peterson, Peter Weeke, Tracy Y. Wang, Robin Mathews, Lars Kober, Laine Thomas, Gunnar H. Gislason, and Christian Torp-Pedersen. “Spousal depression, anxiety, and suicide after myocardial infarction.Eur Heart J 34, no. 9 (March 2013): 649–56. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehs242.
Fosbøl EL, Peterson ED, Weeke P, Wang TY, Mathews R, Kober L, et al. Spousal depression, anxiety, and suicide after myocardial infarction. Eur Heart J. 2013 Mar;34(9):649–56.
Fosbøl, Emil L., et al. “Spousal depression, anxiety, and suicide after myocardial infarction.Eur Heart J, vol. 34, no. 9, Mar. 2013, pp. 649–56. Pubmed, doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehs242.
Fosbøl EL, Peterson ED, Weeke P, Wang TY, Mathews R, Kober L, Thomas L, Gislason GH, Torp-Pedersen C. Spousal depression, anxiety, and suicide after myocardial infarction. Eur Heart J. 2013 Mar;34(9):649–656.
Journal cover image

Published In

Eur Heart J

DOI

EISSN

1522-9645

Publication Date

March 2013

Volume

34

Issue

9

Start / End Page

649 / 656

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Suicide
  • Spouses
  • Sex Distribution
  • Risk Factors
  • Registries
  • Prognosis
  • Myocardial Infarction
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Humans