Anxiety and Depression among patients with melasma: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aim: We aimed to study the frequency of anxiety and depression among melasma patients and its association with demographic variables. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 94 melasma patients attending a dermatology outpatient department in a tertiary care hospital. The sociodemographic variables were collected using semi-structured pro forma. Information regarding anxiety and depression was gathered using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Data obtained were analyzed statistically using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Results: The majority of melasma patients were female (81.9%). The mean age of the individuals was 32.32 ± 11.42 years. Mild, moderate, and moderately severe anxiety was reported by 34%, 39.4%, and 1.1% of the patients, respectively, using the GAD-7 questionnaire. 25.5% of the patients had no anxiety. PHQ-9 revealed that mild, moderate, and moderately severe depression was reported by 30.9%, 23.4%, and 17% of the respondents, respectively. 28.7% of patients had no depression. None of the individuals had severe depression. In both questionnaires, the association was statistically significant with age, gender, and education. Conclusion: There is a presence of anxiety and depression among patients with melasma that needs early detection and management.