Key result
Female patients with rheumatoid arthritis had a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms compared to healthy controls.
Why the study?
Depression is common in rheumatoid arthritis, but its prevalence depends heavily on different assessment tools and sociocultural differences.
Is the prevalence of depressive symptoms higher in female patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared to healthy controls?
Cross-Sectional (n=392)
Yes
Is the prevalence of depressive symptoms higher in female patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared to healthy controls?
Nearly one-third of female patients with rheumatoid arthritis exhibit depressive symptoms, which is significantly higher than healthy controls and strongly associated with disease activity and disability.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Depressive symptoms warrant screening consideration in women with RA; leaves open causal direction and treatment effects on disease activity.
OBJECTIVES: Previous research showed that depression is common in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the prevalence very much depends on different assessment tools and sociocultural differences, respectively. The main study aim and research question was to investigate the proportion of depressive symptoms in Austrian female patients with RA. SETTING: A nationwide multicentre study with seven secondary care centres all over Austria (hospital-based rheumatological outpatient clinics and private practices). PARTICIPANTS: 319 patients with RA and 306 healthy controls (HCO), all female Caucasians, were asked to complete a Beck's Depression Inventory-Fast Screen (BDI-FS). Patients and HCO were ≥18 years. Patients had to fulfil the 2010 classification criteria for RA. In addition, disease activity, disability, medication, drinking of alcoholic beverages, smoking and occupational status were evaluated. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: A BDI-FS cut-off value of ≥4, per definition, indicates the presence of a depressive symptomatology. RESULTS: The return rate of questionnaires was high: 235/319 (73.7%) in patients with RA and 180/306 (58.8%), ending up with 392 complete questionnaires from 223 patients with RA (69.9%) and 169 HCO (55.2%). The BDI-FS was significantly higher in patients with RA (median BDI-FS 2 (IQR 0-4) vs median 1 (IQR 0-2) in HCO, p<0.001). BDI-FS scores from ≥4, which by definition indicate depression, were found in 29.6% of patients with RA and 12.4% of HCO (p<0.001). Depressive symptoms were strongly associated with disease activity (Clinical Disease Activity Index, p<0.001) and disability (Health Assessment Questionnaire, p<0.005). No association of depressive symptoms with age, alcohol consumption, smoking, occupational status or use of medication was found. CONCLUSIONS: One-third of female patients with RA showed depressive symptoms. Depression was significantly higher in female patients with RA than in female HCO and was strongly associated with disease activity and disability. It would be of interest to address the same question in male participants.
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Sautner et al. (2020) conducted a cross-sectional in rheumatoid arthritis (n=392). Rheumatoid arthritis vs. Healthy controls was evaluated on Depressive symptomatology (BDI-FS score ≥4) (p=<0.001). Female patients with rheumatoid arthritis had a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms compared to healthy controls.
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