Gender differences in distress and depression following cardiac surgery

Abstract

This study examined the effects of physical health and other psychosocial variables on psychological distress and depression following coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG), with a focus on gender differences. Information regarding psychological distress one year following surgery was obtained from a sample of 151 patients (112 males, 39 females), who also provided retrospective information about noncardiac chronic conditions, preoperative socioeconomic variables, postoperative social support, and immediately post-CABG depression. Medical and surgical data and postoperative cardiac conditions were retrieved from computerized medical records. Structural equation modeling with LISREL showed that distress one year following surgery was predicted by the number of noncardiac chronic illnesses, controlling for immediately post-CABG depression. Gender had only an indirect effect on distress; women reported more chronic medical conditions than did men. Analysis also revealed an interaction between gender and income: higher income men and lower income women were most likely to report depression immediately following surgery.