Serious Effects of Negative Thinking & Hopelessness in Women

Hopelessness is one of the most frustrating feelings that depressed people experience. A link between depression and cardiovascular disease has been known for some time. There’s now some indication that the specific symptom ‘hopelessness’ in women may foretell an increased risk for heart disease or stroke. A study reported in the journal Stroke describes this connection.

The US investigators used the thickness of wall layers of the carotid artery as an indicator of atherosclerosis. A group of 559 healthy women – 62% white, 38% black, average age 50 – were selected from the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) Heart Study. Hopelessness was measured using a 2-item questionnaire that assessed their expectations regarding future and personal goals. A standard depression scale was also administered. Then the carotid artery intima-medial thickness (IMT) was measured, using ultrasound.

There was a consistent progressive association between rising levels of hopelessness and increasing IMT. This was after appropriate adjustments for age, race, study site, income, and cardiovascular risk factors. The overall difference in thickening between women with higher versus lower hopelessness scores (about 0.02 mm) was equivalent to about one year’s worth of thickening.

This study’s results suggest that women who experience a feeling of hopelessness may be at greater risk of future heart attack or stroke. The association was not present for depression scores per se, emphasizing the importance to address specifically negative thinking and symptoms of feeling useless.