Anxiety and depression in COPD

摘要

COPD is a disease with multiple co morbidities. Two of the most common and least treated co morbidities are anxiety and depression. The prevalence of depression and anxiety associated with COPD vary considerably because the psychological consequences are rarely screened, because the variety of scales and methods used to measure such symptoms and because the different degrees of illness severity across studies. The Participants in our study were recruited from patients with COPD, older 40 years old, with Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV1) less than 80%, and FEV1/FVC less 70%, without malignancy, hepatic or renal insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, instable angina pectoris, myocardial infarction within the previous year, cardiac arrhythmias, or other significant diseases, hospitalized in Pneumology Clinic Leon Daniello Cluj, between September 2009-march 2010. The patients were interviewed with Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Saint George Questioners for quality of life. We try to evaluate the risk factors for depression and anxiety like age, gender, lack of social support, severity of disease (COPD), main symptoms, long term use of systemic corticosteroids, value of FEV1, educational level, presence of co morbidity, the total score for depression and anxiety ( for quantification of symptoms). The psychological manifestations of COPD are treated in only a minority of patients. Untreated depression and anxiety have major implications for compliance with medical treatment (lower adherence), increased frequency of hospital admission, and are associated with poor quality of life (may also be a significant predictor of mortality following hospitalization) Patients with COPD should be screened for depression and for anxiety by their respiratory doctor and should be treated by physician with skills and knowledge of mental disorders.