Screening for anxiety and depression among patients with cardiovascular diseases at a private tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan

  • Faryal Ghafoor The Aga Khan University, Karachi
  • Salma Rattani Aga Khan University, Karachi
  • Rozmin Jiwani UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing
  • Zahra Tharani Aga Khan University, Karachi
  • Kashmira Nanji Aga Khan University, Karachi
  • Ahmed Sarki School of Nursing and Midwifery, Uganda
Keywords: Depression, Cardiovascular diseases, Prevalence, Anxiety, Frequency

Abstract

Background & Objective: Approximately 17.3 million individuals across the globe lose their lives to cardiovascular diseases with most of these cases occurring in low-to-middle-income countries. The incidence of cardiovascular disease in Pakistan is 918 cases per 100,000 individuals. Depression frequently impacts the health, expenses, and prognosis of patients with cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to screen anxiety and depression among patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Method: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Participants were patients with cardiac disorders and were receiving care in the inpatient unit or in the ambulatory clinic.

Results: The study included 234 participants. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were screened in 28.6 percent participants and was significantly higher among single participants. Moreover, the presence of symptoms showed a significant difference based on gender, with a higher rate among females (p=0.025).

Conclusion: The symptoms of anxiety and depression among patients with cardiovascular disease emphasizes the need for tailored interventions. These findings highlight the need to include regular screenings for anxiety and depression in cardiac care to better address the psychological challenges faced by vulnerable patient groups.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.41.6.7978

How to cite this: Ghafor F, Rattani S, Jiwani R, Tharani Z, Nanji K, Sarki A. Screening for anxiety and depression among patients with cardiovascular diseases at a private tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Pak J Med Sci. 2025;41(6):1623-1628.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.41.6.7978

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Author Biographies

Salma Rattani, Aga Khan University, Karachi

Associate Professor

Rozmin Jiwani, UT Health San Antonio, School of Nursing

Associate Professor

Zahra Tharani, Aga Khan University, Karachi

Faculty Member

Kashmira Nanji, Aga Khan University, Karachi

Biostatician

Ahmed Sarki, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Uganda

Assistant Professor

Published
2025-06-02
How to Cite
Ghafoor, F., Rattani, S., Jiwani, R., Tharani, Z., Nanji, K., & Sarki, A. (2025). Screening for anxiety and depression among patients with cardiovascular diseases at a private tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, 41(6), 1623-1628. https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.41.6.7978
Section
Original Articles