Gender comparison in depressive symptoms and use of antidepressant medications after acute coronary syndrome

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) affects many aspects of female and male survivors' lives. This prospective longitudinal study explored gender differences in 100 patients hospitalized with ACS and 1 month follow-up. There were no significant differences in depressive symptoms (DS) by gender. However, significantly more females than males had a history of depression and reported being prescribed and taking antidepressants. Considering that 18 nonrespondents had higher DS at Time 1 than the did the others, DS at Time 2 could have been higher given that patients who are depressed tended not to respond at Time 2. Therefore, health care providers need to pay more attention to DS in ACS survivors, especially women whose early recovery experience might be different from men.