Depression Among Chronic Heart Failure Patients in Oman

Background Depression is one of the most common comorbidities in various medical conditions including heart failure (HF). There is a bidimensional association between depression, anxiety, and cardiovascular diseases. Aim This study sought to examine depression and associated factors among HF patients in Oman. Methods This was a cross‐sectional study. A total of 180 participants were recruited for the study’s sample. Inclusion criteria of participants included age of 18 years of age and older, diagnosed with HF, ability to self‐report experiences, and speak Arabic or English. Depression was measured using the 9‐Item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ9). This study was carried out in five governorates in the Northern and Southern part of Oman, recruiting patients from the outpatient clinics of 7 tertiary care facilities after ethical approval. Results The sample average age was 70.28 ± 9.675 years. Most of the participants were men ( n = 93, 51.7%), married ( n = 122, 67.8%), and unemployed ( n = 130, 72.2%). Given the average age of the participants (70.28 ± 9.68 years), employment status is considered as a demographic descriptor. Most patients (55%) reported having three or more than one disorder and 62.8% were primarily in NYHA functional class II. This sample’s primary HF etiology was caused by ischemic factors (65.6%). The systolic type of HF accounts for 78.3% of the cases. Sample’s mean EF was 37.74% ± 10.737%. The mean depression score in this sample was 8.93 (SD = 5.66), with a range minimum of 0 and a maximum of 25. About 8.9% of the participants had moderately severe depression, while 6.7% exhibited severe depression. Conclusions To our knowledge, this study is among the first few to investigate depression in HF patients in Oman. The results showed significantly that depression is more common among this population, emphasizing the critical need for integrated mental health services in addition to cardiovascular care. Improving the mental health of HF patients is essential to raising their quality of life and achieving better health results.