Assessment of sex differences in components of the GDS-15 scale for assessing depression in older inpatients with heart failure at Thong Nhat Hospital

Depression is common among older inpatients with heart failure and may present differently by sex. To describe demographic, comorbidity and geriatric characteristics, and to compare sex differences in components of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) among hospitalised older patients with heart failure at Thong Nhat Hospital. A cross-sectional study of 137 inpatients aged ≥60 years with heart failure at the Department of Cardiology, Thong Nhat Hospital (64 men, 73 women). Categorical variables were presented as frequency and percentage; skewed continuous variables as median and interquartile range. Comparisons between men and women used chi-square/Fisher’s exact or Mann-Whitney tests; depression was defined as GDS-15 ≥5. Median BMI was 22 (IQR 21-24) kg/m². Hypertension, dyslipidaemia and diabetes were the most common comorbidities. IADL dependence occurred in 85.4%, frailty in 86.8%, and GDS-15 depression in 81.8%; median GDS-15 score was 6 (IQR 5-7). No statistically significant sex differences were found in comorbidities, ejection fraction, ADL/IADL dependence, frailty, depression, or any GDS-15 component. The six GDS-15 items with the highest “yes” rates by sex were memory complaints, feeling full of energy, and preferring to stay home. Depression screened by GDS-15 was highly prevalent; women had a numerically higher rate than men without reaching statistical significance. Routine GDS-15 depression screening should be integrated into nursing care regardless of sex.