Treating post-CABG depression with telephone-delivered collaborative care: does patient age affect treatment and outcome?

Abstract

Objective: To determine the nature of telephone-delivered collaborative care intervention provided to patients younger than and older than 60 years experiencing clinically significant depressive symptoms after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery and whether patient age is related to response and remission rates and delivery of care at 8-month follow-up.

Design: : Exploratory post-hoc analysis of data collected in a randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Setting: Seven Pittsburgh-area general hospitals.

Participants: Fifty-eight depressed post-CABG patients younger than 60 and 92 comparable patients age 60 years and older randomized to the RCT's intervention arm.

Measurements: : Components of collaborative care provided to patients over the 8-month study period and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores at 8-month follow-up to determine response and remission status.

Results: There were no differences in the cumulative 8-month rates at which the components of collaborative care were delivered to the two age groups. Similar response and remission rates were also achieved by these groups.

Conclusion: Older and younger patients experiencing clinical depression after CABG surgery can be treated with comparable components of collaborative care, and both age groups will achieve clinical outcomes that do not differ significantly from each other.

Figures

Figure 1

Age-related randomization and follow-up patterns for intervention patients.