Assessment of Depression and Anxiety among Patients with Hypothyroidism Attending Tertiary Care Hospital

Abstract

Abstract Background: Hypothyroidism is a condition that develops due to the deficiency of circulating thyroid hormones. The correlation between psychiatric disorders and thyroid status is a major concern. Aim and Objective: The present study was conducted to assess the prevalence of depression and anxiety in such patients and to determine the associated risk factors. Materials and Methods: It was an observational and cross-sectional study conducted among 256 patients diagnosed with hypothyroidism attending the department of general medicine and endocrinology in a tertiary care hospital for 2 months. The study participants were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The permission from the institutional ethics committee was obtained and informed written consent was taken from all the study participants. The questionnaire was a standardized tool. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel worksheet 2013 and analysis was done using the SPSS software trial version 21. Results: Out of 256 study participants, the majority 204 (79.7%) were female. In the present study, 27.3% of study participants had mild depression, 19.10% had moderate depression, 10.5% had severe depression, and 10.5% of study participants had very severe depression. In the present study, 17.6% of study participants had a mild form of anxiety, 23% had moderate anxiety, and 7.7% had severe anxiety. Conclusion: Any patient on treatment for hypothyroidism for longer clinical periods must be screened for depression and anxiety symptoms and treated accordingly.