There are over five million Americans living with heart failure (HF), and another 670,000 new cases being diagnosed each year. HF is a characteristically unstable condition that is the most costly diagnosis in the Medicare population and is the most common cause for hospitalization. The instability of HF disease is reflected in short-term fluctuations of the HF disease biomarker, B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP). Patient self-management behaviors are important for minimizing HF disease instability. Depression is often comorbid with HF, and elevated depressive symptoms are associated with a marked increase in adverse clinical outcomes. For both depressed and non-depressed HF patients, worsening depressive symptoms mark a substantially increased risk of cardiovascular hospitalization or death. Despite the risk associated with depressive symptoms, the nature of their association with a worsening HF disease trajectory and adverse clinical outcomes is poorly understood.