INTRODUCTION Psychosocial risk factors play an important role in the origins of cardiovascular risk. OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of depressive symptoms (DSs) in relation to some sociodemographic characteristics and selected cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and to assess the relationship between self‑reported CVDs and the severity of DSs. PATIENTS AND METHODS Three cross‑sectional population‑based surveys: WOBASZ (2003-2005), NATPOL 2011 (2011), and WOBASZ II (2013-2014) covered a total sample of 20 514 participants (9614 men and 10 900 women), aged 20 to 74 years, who all completed the Beck Depression Inventory. RESULTS One‑fifth of men and one‑third of women had DSs. The prevalence of DSs increased with age, was higher in unmarried persons and in individuals with a medical history of CVDs, and decreased with increasing education level. Individuals with DSs, both men and women, even those with borderline depression, had from 1.5- to more than 2‑fold higher odds of either coronary artery disease or arrhythmia, and 2- to almost 4‑fold higher chance of previous stroke in their medical history. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that DSs were a frequently observed condition in the general Polish population including patients with CVDs. We also demonstrated that there is a relationship between self‑reported CVDs and severity of DSs regardless of age, marital status, education, and concomitant disorders.