A Positive 2-Item Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Screen Among Hospitalized Heart Failure Patients is Associated With Elevated 12-Month Mortality

Background: Given the association of depression with poorer cardiac outcomes, an American Heart Association Science Advisory has advocated routine screening of cardiac patients for depression using the 2-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2) "at a minimum." However, the prognostic value of the PHQ-2 among HF patients is unknown. Methods and Results: We screened hospitalized HF patients (ejection fraction [EF] <40%) that staff suspected may be depressed with the PHQ-2, and then determined vital status at up to 12-months follow-up. At baseline, PHQ-2 depression screen positive patients (PHQ-2+; n = 371), compared with PHQ-2 screen negative patients (PHQ-2; n = 100), were younger (65 vs 70 years) and more likely to report New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class III/IV than class II symptoms (67% vs. 39%) and lower levels of physical and mental health related quality of life (all P <=.002); they were similar in other characteristics (65% male, 26% mean EF). At 12 months, 20% of PHQ-2+ versus 8% of PHQ-2 patients had died (P = .007) and PHQ-2 status remained associated with both all-cause (hazard ratio [HR] 3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4-6.7; P =.003) and cardiovascular (HR 2.7, 95% CI 1.1-6.6; P = .03) mortality even after adjustment for age, gender, EF, NYHA functional class, and a variety of other covariates. Conclusions: Among hospitalized HF patients, a positive PHQ-2 depression screen is associated with an elevated 12-month mortality risk. (J Cardiac Fail 2012;18:238-245)