The purpose of this study was to examine levels of self-care behavior according to levels of depression among patients with heart failure (HF). Methods: Participants in this descriptive research were 169 outpatients with HF who being seen in three university hospitals and one general hospital located in B, Y, and D cities. Data were collected using the Korean version of the Center for Epidemiologic Depression Scale and European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale. Data collection period was from April 25, 2012 to September 26, 2013. Data were analyzed using Chi-square tests and ANOVAs with SPSS WIN 21.0. Results: A higher proportion of patients who were female, without a spouse, with lower household income, not employed, and having lower functional status with serious symptoms of HF tended to be clinically depressed. HF patients with depression tended not to report symptom changes to their health care providers. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate the need to screen for depression in patients with HF and to develop strategies to improve self-care behaviors in these patients in order to promote reporting of symptom changes to health care providers.

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