Role of perseverative negative thinking in depression in CHD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The role of perseverative negative thinking in predicting depression in people with coronary heart disease: A prospective cohort study
IRAS ID
151669
Contact name
Leanne Trick
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Exeter
Research summary
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in the UK, and is associated with poor quality of life and increased healthcare utilisation. Depression is common in people with CHD and is associated with increased ill-health and mortality. The causes of depression and the mechanisms linking depression with poor medical outcomes in CHD remain unclear. Better understanding these could help predict who is at increased risk of worse medical outcomes, and inform development of novel interventions that could impact both mood and physical health.
Cognitive processes could be implicated in the association between depression and CHD. Perseverative negative thinking (e.g. worry, rumination) has been associated with onset, duration, and severity of depression in healthy populations, and with poor physical outcomes. Cross-sectional studies in people with chronic physical illnesses supports the link between depression and perseverative negative thinking. Prospective studies however have been small, limited quality, and provided inconsistent findings.
The main aim of this study is to investigate whether perseverative negative thinking may lead to subsequent depression, anxiety and adverse physical health outcomes among people with CHD. 250 patients admitted to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (RD&E) with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) will complete self-report questionnaire measures of worry, rumination, depression, anxiety and health-related
quality of life soon after hospitalisation, and again at 2- and 6-months post-ACS.A secondary aim of the study will be to investigate factors which might explain how perseverative negative thinking contributes to subsequent depression. In order to do this all participants will be asked to complete measures of potential mediating processes (social support, problem solving, engagement in activity, and negative biases in information processing). In addition, a subgroup of 60 participants will attend a single laboratory session to complete some computerised measures of information processing which are not amenable to measurement using self-report assessments.
REC name
South West - Frenchay Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
14/SW/0133
Date of REC Opinion
5 Aug 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion