Depressive symptoms in patients with systemic sclerosis: Association between clinical variables, functional status and the quality of life

• Main Authors: Mustafa Akif Sarıyıldız, İbrahim Batmaz, Mahmut Budulgan, Mehtap Bozkurt, Levent Yazmalar, Mehmet Okçu, Mehmet Ali Ulu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dicle University Medical School 2013-03-01
• Series: Dicle Medical Journal
• Subjects: Key words: Systemic sclerosis; depressive symptom; pain; functional status; quality of life
• Online Access: http://www.diclemedj.org/upload/sayi/26/Dicle%20Med%20J-01276.pdf

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationshipbetween the depressive symptoms with diseaserelatedvariables, functional status and quality of life inpatients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).Material and methods: Forty patients diagnosed withSSc and 36 healthy control subjects were enrolled in thestudy. The demographic and clinical characteristics of thepatients such as the Raynaud’s phenomenon, SSc subtype,digital ulcers, gastrointestinal and lung involvementand disease activity were recorded. All patients were assessedusing the Short Form-36 Quality of Life (SF-36QoL) scale, the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ)and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Generalizedpain and fatigue was assessed with the Visual AnalogueScale.Results: The patients with SSc had significantly higherscores in the depressive symptoms in terms of the BDIscore compared to the healthy control group. Accordingto the results of Spearman’s analysis, there was a significantlycorrelation between the depressive symptomswith education level, generalized pain, dyspnea, diseaseactivity score, gastroesophageal reflux, dysphagia, functionalstatus, mental and physical score of the SF-36.Conclusion: Depressive symptoms is enhanced in patientswith SSc. Depressive symptoms is especially associatedwith the generalised pain, disease activity, dysphagia,functional status, mental and quality of life in patientswith SSc.Key words: Systemic sclerosis, depressive symptom,pain, functional status, quality of life