Prevalence of Depression in Patients With COPD, Its Associated Risk Factors and Impact on Health-Related Quality of Life

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence of depression in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), its associated risk factors and impact on health-related quality of life.

Methodology: This cross-sectional, observational study was carried out at Medicine and Psychiatry department from September 2022 to February 2023. Patients aged 40 years or above, both genders with the confirmed diagnosis of COPD, based on clinical assessment and spirometric findings according to the GOLD criteria, were included. Patients were assessed for depressive syndromes through the “Patient Health Questionnaire-9” (PHQ-9). Furthermore, cases were evaluated for their quality of life by St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire “SGRQ”. All the relevant data was entered and analyzed by SPSS version 26.

Results: A total of 78 patients were studied; most were over 55 years old (66.7%) and male (74.4%). Overall, 3.6% of COPD patients experienced depression, with mild depression being the most common (35.9%). Depression was significantly more prevalent in females, individuals aged 40–55 years, those with below-matric education, urban residents, and people from poor socioeconomic backgrounds (p-<0.05). The most affected group included poor, married males over 55, although younger patients (40–55 years) had higher rates of moderate depression. Duration of COPD was not significantly associated with depression severity (p>0.05).

Conclusion: Study revealed that over 40% of COPD patients experienced depressive symptoms, with severity closely linked to younger age, female gender, low education, rural background, and poverty.