Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in Patients with Chest Pain Complaints Referred to the Heart Emergency Department of Taleghani Hospital in Tehran, Iran

 Chest pain is one of the most common reasons for people to go to cardiac emergency clinics. This study was conducted with the aim to evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in patients with chest pain referred to the heart emergency clinic of Taleghani Hospital, Tehran, Iran.

 This descriptive-analytic study was performed on 103 patients with chest pain who were referred to the emergency department. Furthermore, a follow-up was carried out. Data were collected using a demographic information form and mental health survey (28-item General Health Questionnaire; Goldberg & Hillier, 1979) in the two groups of cardiac and non-cardiac chest pain.

 Among all the referred patients, 74 patients (71.8%) did not have a definitive diagnosis of cardiovascular disorders (CVDs). The results revealed that among the patients with non-cardiac chest pain, 56 (75.7%), 55 (74.3%), 54 (73%), and 22 (29.7%) individuals had phyisical disorder, anxiety, social dysfunction, and depressive disorder. Among the patients, who were definitively diagnosed with CVDs, 14 (48.3%), 10 (34.5%), 7 (24.1%), and 6 (20.7%) individuals had anxiety, physical disoreder, social dysfunction, and depressive disorder. Among all patients, physical disorder had a significant relationship with gender (P = 0.047), and physical and anxiety disorders had a significant relationship‎ with history of recurrent chest pain in the last 6 months (P < 0.05).

 Due to the high number of non-cardiac patients who refer to the emergency department with chest pain complaints, it is recommended that all patients with chest pain complaints be screened for psychiatric diseases.