Ethnic variations in quality of life and depressive symptoms in black Americans with acute decompensated heart failure are understudied. Assesses the severity of depressive symptoms and their contribution to quality of life in patients with acute decompensated heart failure receiving care at inner-city hospitals with high volumes of black patients. Adjusted mean quality of life scores were equivalent in the African American and Caribbean black groups. Depressive symptoms were equally severe in the 2 groups and explained an equivalent proportion of the variance in quality of life in each group.
