Functional Support and Burden Among Out-of-Home Supporters of Heart Failure Patients With and Without Depression

Objective: Over 20% of patients with heart failure (HF) experience clinical depression, which is associated with higher rates of mortality, morbidity, and hospitalization. Support from family members or friends (whom we refer to as care partners [CPs]) can lower the risk of these outcomes. We examined whether HF patients with depression received assistance from CPs living outside of their homes. Further, we examined whether patient depression was associated with support-related strain among out-of-home CPs. Method: We analyzed baseline survey data from 348 HF patients with reduced ejection fraction and their CPs. Patients with scores on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale–10 (Kohout, Berkman, Evans, & Cornoni-Huntley, 1993) of ≥10 were classified as having clinically significant depressive symptoms (i.e., depression). Outcomes included CP-reported hr per week helping with health care and talking with patients via telephone and scores on the Modified Caregiver Strain Index. Negative binomial regression models examined differences in the amount of in-person and telephone support for patients with and without depression, controlling for patients' comorbidities, living alone, CP geographic distance, and CP emotional closeness to the patient. Results: CPs provided more in-person support to HF patients with depression (M = 3.64 hr) compared with those without depression (M = 2.60 hr per week, incident rate ratio [IRR] = 1.40, p =.019). CPs provided more telephone support to patients with depression (M = 3.02 hr) compared with those without depression (M = 2.09 hr per week, IRR = 1.42, p <.001). Patient depression had no effect on caregiver burden (IRR = 1.00, p =.843). Conclusion: Patients with clinically significant depressive symptoms receive more in-person assistance and telephonic support from CPs. Despite that additional contact, caregiver burden was not greater among the supporters of depressed patients.