Insights in Chest Diseases

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Anxiety and Depression Disorders: Prospective Cohort Study in Primary Care

Introduction: Anxiety and depression are underdiagnosed in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients. Few studies have tried to identify their association with hospitalization (severe exacerbation). The objective of this study was to determine whether the anxiety/depression was associated with severe exacerbation.
Method: A prospective cohort study based on a sample of 512 patients diagnosed with COPD originating from Primary Care in a rural area in Lleida (Spain) and monitored between 01/11/2012 and 31/10/2014. For each patient, variables of interest were recorded; they were administered the HADS test (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) to determine the possible presence of anxiety/depression, and its association with severe exacerbation was analysed using a logistic regression model.
Results: Initially, the prevalence of anxiety/depression was 15.6%. The incidence of global hospitalization in the first year was 8.2%, and 11.3% in the second. In patients with anxiety/depression, it increased to 17.5% in the first year and 18.8% in the second. In the multivariate regression model, the diagnosis of anxiety/ depression almost doubled the risk of hospitalization (ORa=1.94) (p<0.041).
Conclusion: Anxiety and depression are associated with an increased risk of hospitalization. Intervention studies are needed to evaluate the effects of anxiety/ depression in the hospitalization.

Author(s):

Josep MC, Pere G, Ramon MJ, Ferran B, Josep P, Marta O and Miquel A

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