Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Anxiety and depression are the most prevalent mental disorders worldwide. However, the exact mechanisms linking chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with depression and anxiety have not been identified.
OBJECTIVES:
To compare self-reported depression and anxiety among patients diagnosed with COPD in relation to healthy controls.
DESIGN AND SETTING:
Case control study at a public hospital institution in Spain.
METHODS:
We designed a case-control study. Patients were recruited using a consecutive sampling method from a single institution. Two groups were created: COPD and healthy controls. Data on medical history and demographic background were collected from the medical records. Self-reported depression levels were assessed using Beck’s depression inventory (BDI). Self-reported anxiety was measured using the State-trait anxiety inventory (STAI).
RESULTS:
Fifty-two patients with COPD and fifty healthy patients were included in this study. BDI scores were higher for COPD patients (10.23 ± 6.26) than in the control group (5.2 ± 6.56). STAI-state scores were higher for COPD patients (41.85 ± 12.55) than for controls (34.88 ± 9.25). STAI-trait scores were higher for COPD patients (41.42 ± 10.01) than for controls (34.62 ± 9.19).
CONCLUSIONS:
This study showed that there were higher levels of depression and anxiety among COPD patients than among healthy controls.
KEY WORDS (MeSH terms):
Depression; Anxiety; Pulmonary disease; chronic obstructive
AUTHORS’ KEY WORDS:
Depressive symptoms; Anxiousness; COPD