Keywords

depressive symptoms, heart failure, self-care, social support

 

Authors

  1. Lee, Kyoung Suk PhD, RN, MPH
  2. Lennie, Terry A. PhD, RN, FAAN, FAHA
  3. Yoon, Ju Young PhD, RN
  4. Wu, Jia-Rong PhD
  5. Moser, Debra K. DNSc, RN, FAAN, FAHA

Abstract

Background: Depressive symptoms hinder heart failure patients' engagement in self-care. As social support helps improve self-care and decrease depressive symptoms, it is possible that social support buffers the negative impact of depressive symptoms on self-care.

 

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of living arrangements as an indicator of social support on the relationship between depressive symptoms and self-care in heart failure patients.

 

Methods: Stable heart failure patients (N = 206) completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to measure depressive symptoms. Self-care (maintenance, management, and confidence) was measured with the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index. Path analyses were used to examine associations among depressive symptoms and the self-care constructs by living arrangements.

 

Results: Depressive symptoms had a direct effect on self-care maintenance and management (standardized [beta] = -0.362 and -0.351, respectively), but not on self-care confidence in patients living alone. Depressive symptoms had no direct or indirect effect on any of the 3 self-care constructs in patients living with someone.

 

Conclusions: Depressive symptoms had negative effects on self-care in patients living alone, but were not related to self-care in patients living with someone. Our results suggest that negative effects of depressive symptoms on self-care are buffered by social support.