Depressive Disorders: In Population, in Gastroenterological Patients and in Covid-19 Period

Abstract

Introduction. There are some data that suggest that emotional stress and depression may affect the development of functional organic disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. However, the relationship between them is not fully understood. It is not unknown the relationship between stress / depression and chronic gastritis. Aim: to analyze the published articles and online sources on depressive disorders with an emphasis on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and investigate the depression level in patients with chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia, with or without gastric dysplasia. Materials and methods. Literature data were studied for 2004-2021 using Internet resources in English, Ukrainian, and Russian language. Using the HADS scale («The hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale»), the level of depression was studied in 76 patients with chronic atrophic gastritis (with intestinal metaplasia, with or without gastric dysplasia). Statistical data analysis was performed with SPSS Version 13.0. Results. Having used Internet resources and scientific publications, depressive manifestations, according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10), diagnostic methods, the prevalence of depressive disorders before and during the pandemic COVID-19, as well as the impact of COVID-19 on the severity of depressive manifestations were studied. Additionally, it was found in this study that 23.7 % of patients with chronic atrophic gastritis had depressive changes. 13.2 % of these changes were subclinically expressed, and 10.5 % of ones were clinically expressed and required psychocorrective therapy. Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic is a trigger in society that may exacerbate depression in patients with other comorbid diseases and in the general population. Depressive changes requiring psychocorrective therapy were revealed in 23.7 % of patients with chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia. Keywords: Depression, general population, COVID-19, chronic atrophic gastritis, intestine metaplasia, dysplasia.