Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety among Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Identification and management of comorbidities are the important strategies for controlling symptoms and maintaining a stable, high-quality life for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Introduction: COPD is traditionally considered a disease limited to the lungs. However, these patient’s extrapulmonary manifestations have significant implications for patient well-being and prognosis. Among such important but under-recognized systemic effects are the impacts of psychological disorders. the objective of the study is to determine depression and anxiety among COPD patients. Materials and Methods: All COPD patients who attended the respiratory clinic from June 2020 to February 2021 were included in the study. Patients were given the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale self-administered questionnaire in English or regional languages and were requested to return it after completing the responses. The completed questionnaire was then interpreted according to the guidelines by Lovibond et al . Results: Ninety-eight COPD patients were enrolled in the study, of whom 38 (38.8%) were found to have depression and 67 (68.4%) were found to have anxiety. Five patients had scores in the range of mild depression, 19 patients had moderate depression, 5 patients had severe depression, and 9 patients had very severe depression. Nine patients had scores in the range of mild anxiety, 21 patients had moderate anxiety, 14 patients had severe anxiety, and 23 patients had very severe anxiety. Conclusion: In our study, nearly 2/3 rd of COPD patients had depression and anxiety either alone or in combination. Anxiety was the most common psychiatric comorbidity identified in our research. These two conditions are often undiagnosed and contribute significantly to symptom burden and morbidity. An increasing awareness about these comorbid conditions is essential for all physicians treating COPD.