Comorbidity of depression and anxiety with obstructive sleep apnea in a sample of Egyptian patients

Abstract Background Over the past 2 decades, sleep researchers have made significant advances in understanding sleep disorders including obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA commonly coexists with psychiatric disorders encompassing mental health issues like depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia an others. This study aims to assess the comorbidity of OSA with depression and anxiety disorders among Egyptian patients. During the study, we conducted a cross-sectional study involving 92 adults diagnosed with OSA. Those patients were interviewed using a checklist to gather information regarding their chief complaints and other associated symptoms. The psychological status was assessed utilizing the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID I), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scoring. The severity of the breathing disorder was classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on the respiratory disturbance index (RDI), which was confirmed through overnight polysomnography. Daytime sleepiness was assessed by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Results The sample of patients as a whole shows that witnessed apneas represent the highest percentage (70.7%), followed by fatigue (69.6%), then non-refreshing sleep (67.4%), and snores (63.0%). The least frequent presenting symptom is frequent naps. The majority of OSA patients have a comorbid psychiatric disorder (65.0%). Among these, depressive disorders are the most prevalent (31.5%), followed by anxiety disorders (23.9%) and psychoses (6.5%). It is worth noting that 38% of OSA patients do not have any psychiatric disorders. In terms of anxiety disorders, the most common subtype observed is OCD (8.7%), followed by GAD (6.5%), panic (5%), and PTSD (3.3%). As regards depressive disorders, the predominant subtype present is depressive disorder not otherwise specified (11.9%), followed by dysthymic disorder and major depressive disorder (8.7% for each), and then bipolar disorder (depression) at 2.2%. Conclusions We conclude the following: 1. OSA patients are likely to present with comorbid depression and/or anxiety disorder(s). 2. Fatigue was found to be the most prevalent presenting symptom in OSA patients with comorbid anxiety compared to those without anxiety.