Relationship between depression and quality of life in Nigerian outpatients with heart failure

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between depression and health-related quality of life (QoL) in Nigerian outpatients with heart failure (HE). Methods: We used a cross-sectional study in which outpatients with HF (n=100) completed the WHO Quality of Life Scale-Brief Version to assess their subjective QoL. The patients were also assessed for the diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) in accordance with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, Fourth Edition. Results: The factors independently associated with poor QoL include disability due to illness, presence of MDD, younger age, and longer duration of illness. Patients with MDD had worse QoL than patients without MDD on dimensions of physical health, psychological health, and environment. Conclusion: Depression adversely affects the QoL of patients with HE. Programs designed to improve the QoL of patients with HF need to incorporate the early identification and treatment of depression. Future studies are warranted to investigate the impact of improved depression management on QoL in patients with HE (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.