| Within a year's time, the mortality rate of persons who experience a myocardial infarction (MI) is about 47% (American Heart Association, 2003). Although well supported connections between depressive symptoms after a myocardial infarction and morbidity have been reported, the focus on the everyday relationships of depressive symptoms on self-care behavior has yet to be fully explored.;The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of depressive symptoms on self-care behavior in patients who have experienced a myocardial infarction. The research hypotheses were (1) Depressive symptoms after a MI change over time, and (2) Controlling for age, acuity, current depression being treated and co-morbidity, there is an inverse relationship between depressive symptoms and self-care behaviors after a MI over time.;A descriptive correlational design was used. The sample consisted of 62 patients who were hospitalized for an acute myocardial infarction in a suburban medical center. Data collection instruments included: Medical and Demographic Characteristics Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) (Beck, Steer, Brown, 1996), the Washington Adventist Hospital Patient Classification System, the Health Behavior Scale (Miller, Wikoff, McMahon, Garrett & Johnson, (1982), and The Charlson Co-morbidity Index of Illness. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic data.;The first hypothesis was not supported; depressive symptoms after a MI did not change significantly over time. The second hypothesis was supported. There was not a significant inverse relationship of depressive symptoms as measured by the BDI-II scale at two weeks and self-care at two weeks, while controlling for age, acuity, current depression being treated, and co-morbidity. At thirty days a significant inverse relationship of depressive symptoms at thirty days and self-care at thirty days was evident in the step-wise multiple regression analysis (R2 = .12, adjusted R2 = .006, F (1, 54) = 5.34, p < .05). Knowing how depressive symptoms relate to self-care behavior provides a therapeutic window to target interventions for patients after a MI. |
