Prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among patients with hypothyroidism

Abstract

Context:The association between depression and thyroid function is well known. Both conditions express many similar symptoms, thus making the diagnosis and treatment difficult.Aims:To find the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among patients with hypothyroid.Settings and Design:Cross-sectional study.Materials and Methodology:A total of 100 patients diagnosed as hypothyroidism were evaluated using Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) and Hamilton scale for anxiety (HAM-A).Statistical Analysis Used:The data were analyzed using the SPSS for Windows version 17.0 software. The quantitative data were expressed in number and percentage. The results obtained were compared using the Chi-square test.Results:Females constituted 70% of the sample. A total of 60% reported some degree of depression based on HDRS (males – 56.63% and females – 64.29%) whereas about 63% out of the total patients screened showed some degree of anxiety (males –56.66% and females – 65.72%) based on HAM-A. The most common depressive symptom among the males was depressed mood (73.33%) and among females was gastrointestinal somatic symptoms (68.54%). The most common anxiety symptom among the males was depressed mood (70.0%) and among females was anxious mood (92.85%).Conclusions:Psychiatric symptoms/disorders are common in patients with thyroid dysfunction.

A Study of Psychiatric Co-Morbidity in Patients Suffering from Thyroid Dysfunction

“…Bathla et al in 2016 11 reported some degree of anxiety in 63% patients of hypothyroidism using the same assessment tool. 23% patients had moderate to severe anxiety.…”

“…This can be attributed to the fact that different studies have based their findings on different screening instruments. The frequency of symptoms of depression has been reported to vary from 12.5 to 63% 11,12,13,14,15 . The findings of our study are in agreement with those of the earlier studies.…”

Prevalence of depression among hypothyroid patients attending the primary healthcare and endocrine clinics of King Fahad Hospital of the University (KFHU)

“…[8] Hypothyroidism can cause behavioral disturbances, depressive symptoms, and anxiety, and it can impact certain aspects of cognitive functioning, such as slowed information processing speed, reduced efficiency in executive functions, poor learning and memory, mood disturbance, and problems in verbal fluency. More severe hypothyroidism can mimic melancholic depression and dementia.…”

“…More severe hypothyroidism can mimic melancholic depression and dementia. [8] A study conducted among hypothyroid patients in King Fahad Hospital of the University (KFHU) during 1995 found the prevalence of depression as the first manifestation of hypothyroidism to be 18%. [9]…”

Reply to “How prevalent are depression and anxiety symptoms in hypothyroidism?”

“…The patients with a history of anxiety and depression were excluded from our study [1] as the aim of the study was to assess prevalence among the patients diagnosed with hypothyroid and developed the anxiety and depressive symptoms later during illness (i.e., hypothyroid). The prevalence of depressive symptoms in hypothyroid population (more than 60%)[2] is far more than that in general population (range from 1.5 to 19%).…”