Life Satisfaction, Depressive Symptoms and Perceived Social Support in Heart Failure Patients

This research examined life satisfaction, depressive symptoms and perceived social support in two groups of adults (N = 120; age 40-89 years). The first was formed by stable heart failure (HF) outpatients and the second was a control group of similar age. Perceived social support was the only significant predictor of life satisfaction in the control group but, in the HF group, life satisfaction was associated with more social support and less depressive symptoms. Gender (men > women) was also an important predictor of life satisfaction in both groups, but more significantly in the HF one. All women reported more depressive symptoms and less life satisfaction than men. Female HR patients also perceived more social support than male patients did. Finally, a partial mediation of depressive symptoms in the association between social support and life satisfaction was found in the HF group.