Prevalence of depression and anxiety and their association with disease activity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: A cross-sectional study
Mohammad Mustafa, Yasser Mohammed Bawazir, Mariam Baghaffar, Roaa AlsolaimaniABSTRACT
Context:
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic immune-mediated condition causing multisystem inflammation and tissue injury. Psychiatric disorders, mainly depression and anxiety, are common in SLE patients and may negatively influence disease progression. However, these disorders are under-recognized in the literature.
Aims:
This study aims to identify the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and correlate them with disease activity in patients with SLE.
Settings and Design:
This cross-sectional observational study was conducted between February 2024 and February 2025 in adults with SLE.
Methods:
Data were collected through a survey utilising two validated instruments to assess depression and anxiety: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7).
Statistical Analysis:
Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 28. Categorical variables were reported as frequencies (%), and continuous variables as means (±standard deviation). Spearman’s correlation assessed associations, with significance set at
Results:
A sample of 79 individuals with SLE was enrolled; 51.9% and 77.2% had mild depression and anxiety, respectively, and 7.6% and 11.4% had severe depression and anxiety. Hair loss was the most frequent manifestation (79.7%), while pulmonary complications were the least frequent (8.9%). Depression showed a positive correlation with hair loss, mouth ulcers, and cardiac complications. Anxiety was positively correlated with hair loss and cardiac complications.
Conclusions:
Depression and anxiety are common in SLE, often with heterogeneous clinical presentations, and are associated with certain manifestations and complications related to SLE. Increased disease activity was positively associated with higher depression and anxiety scores.