Introduction. Psychiatric problems and stresses may deteriorate the prognosis of patients with IHD. So evaluating their frequency possibly will promote our perspective regarding their vital importance in the field of consultation-liaison psychiatry. Method and Materials. One hundred and one (101) patients with IHD were interviewed in CCU of a general hospital by a psychiatrist to find whether there was any relationship between cardiac events and psychiatric problems or stresses. Results. Cardiac events were significantly more prevalent among patients with both psychiatric problems and biological risk factors ( ). Also, the number of patients suffering from psychiatric problems was significantly more than cases without that ( ). There was a significant difference between male and female patients regarding the type of stress ( ). 79% of total stresses were experienced by patients who had as well psychiatric problems ( ). In addition, there was significantly more dysthymic disorder in the acute group of patients in comparison with major or minor depressive disorder in the chronic group ( ). Conclusion. The high prevalence of psychiatric problems and psychosocial stresses among patients with IHD deserves sufficient attention by clinicians for detection, monitoring, and management of them. 1. Introduction Anxiety and depression are more prevalent in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) than in the general population [1]. A study of 200 patients who had suffered a first myocardial infarction (MI) found a 1-year cumulative incidence of depression of 25% [2]. Also, in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF), three studies have found the prevalence of depression to be approximately 20% [3]. Although the epidemiology of anxiety disorders in CAD is not as well studied as that of depression, the incidence of anxiety symptoms in patients with acute coronary disease in cardiac care units is approximately 50% [4]. Besides, depression is linked to a large number of major risk factors for CAD or cardiac-related mortality, including cigarette smoking, diabetes, and obesity. Prospective studies indicate that depression is an independent risk factor in the development of these behaviors or conditions and also strong independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, of acute coronary events, and of mortality from cardiac illness. In general, studies show that the relative risk of incident cardiac disease in healthy individuals with depression or symptoms of depression is about 1.5 to 2, depending on which cardiac endpoint is used [5, 6].
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