Systematic screening for anxiety and depression in cardiac rehabilitation - are we there yet?

BACKGROUND: Anxiety and depression are prevalent in 20% of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and associated with poor outcomes. Guidelines recommend screening for these conditions in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) however, clinical practice is inconsistent. Sparse knowledge exists on determinants for screening. METHODS: This observational study used data from the National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation from January 2016-December 2019. A multivariate logistic regression model was performed to analyze patient- and provider level determinants for screening for anxiety and depression among patients with ACS. RESULTS: The population consisted of 138,018 patients, where 82,507 (59.8%) were screened and 55,511 (40.2%) were not. Younger age, non-white ethnicity, living in areas of social deprivation, current smoking, body mass index>30, and physical activity