Low psychological resilience is associated with depression in patients with cardiovascular disease

Background: Psychological resilience is associated with an improved capacity to cope with chronic health challenges such as cardiovascular disease. Aims: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between psychological resilience and symptoms of depression in a non-acute cardiac outpatient population. Methods: A total of 419 adult cardiac outpatients (288 men; mean±SD age 66.26±14.04 years) attending cardiovascular clinics completed the Sense of Coherence (SOC13) scale as a measure of psychological resilience and the Cardiac Depression Scale (CDS26) prior to their consultation. Results: The total SOC13 score (mean±SD 64.02±14.24, range 19–91) was within the moderate range. Older patients (⩾65 years) were significantly more resilient than those aged