This study examined the effects of physical health and other psychosocial
variables on psychological distress and depression following coronary artery
bypass graft surgery (CABG), with a focus on gender differences. Information
regarding psychological distress one year following surgery was obtained from
a sample of 151 patients (112 males, 39 females), who also provided
retrospective information about noncardiac chronic conditions, preoperative
socioeconomic variables, postoperative social support, and immediately
post-CABG depression. Medical and surgical data and postoperative cardiac
conditions were retrieved from computerized medical records. Structural
equation modeling with LISREL showed that distress one year following
surgery was predicted by the number of noncardiac chronic illnesses,
controlling for immediately post-CABG depression. Gender had only an
indirect effect on distress; women reported more chronic medical conditions
than did men. Analysis also revealed an interaction between gender and
income: higher income men and lower income women were most likely to
report depression immediately following surgery.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91264/1/Ai et al -1997-Gender differences in distress and depression following cardiac surgery JGCH.pd
