Frequency of Depression and Anxiety and their Association with Respiratory Diseases: A Hospital based study

Abstract

Background: Patients with respiratory illness sometime face adverse situations such as their disease symptom management, general condition deterioration, and a hostile perception of the hospital environment, favoring the appearance of anxiety and depression. Objective: to identify the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with respiratory disorder, as well as the factors associated with these conditions. Methodology: A total of 320 patients hospitalized for a disease of pulmonary origin were analyzed and divided into the following subgroups: infectious, oncological, acute, and chronic diseases. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was applied to them on the second or fourth day of their hospital stay and five days after the first evaluation. Multiple linear regression models were carried out to analyze the association between anxiety and depression measured over two different periods. The models present the statistically significant variables with a 95% confidence level. Results: The patients presented with anxiety in 74.2% of cases, mainly those with acute respiratory diseases (42.6%) and neoplastic diseases (27.3%). A total of 69.7% presented with depression, with symptoms more significant in those with chronic and neoplastic pulmonary diseases and those with no income. Patients with at least one comorbidity presented with anxiety in 53.7% of cases and depression in 52.3% of cases. Linear regression models were carried out and showed that anxiety was 1.77 and 1.86 times more frequent in patients with chronic diseases compared to those with infectious pathologies in the first and second reviews, respectively. Conclusion: Anxiety and depression are common disorders in patients with respiratory diseases, negatively affecting the prognosis. Routine mental health screening and multidisciplinary management are essential in this population.