This tool is brought to you in part by Stanford Patient Education Research Center, 1000 Welch Road, Suite 204 ,Palo Alto CA 94304. Contact: (650) 723-7935 or visit http://patienteducation.stanford.edu Funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Making sure that you are mentally healthy is just as important as being physically healthy.
It is not uncommon to experience significant stress, anxiety or depression when receiving your LVAD or becoming a caregiver for an LVAD recipient. There have been a lot of changes in your body and your life recently. There are many different causes of mental health issues, many of which are not under your control. If you are experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety, it is not a bad thing to ask for help. There are many new medications and treatments available to help you feel better. Sometimes mental health issues are not recognized by the person who is affected. We have provided this tool to help you or a loved one identify when you may need to ask for help.
Personal Mental Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
Available Resources
No matter what problems you are dealing with, there are resources available to help. If you are experiencing any type of depression, we encourage you to reach out to your Transplant Team and/or VAD Coordinator. Please reach out to representatives that can help and are available to talk. If you consider yourself to be severely depressed or are having thoughts of injuring yourself, there are resources available to help 24/7. Online you may access www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org to chat with a representative or you can call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to connect with a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area, anytime 24/7.
Talk to others about this topic in the Community Forums.