Prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis at a regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Background: Depression affects 14.8% – 38.8% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in developed countries. The prevalence and risk factors for depression in patients with RA in sub-Saharan Africa is not well established. Aim: To determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2022-02-01
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| Series: | South African Journal of Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1702 |
| _version_ | 1811291057423384576 |
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| author | Mfundo Mabusela Andrew Tomita Saeeda Paruk Farhanah Paruk |
| author_facet | Mfundo Mabusela Andrew Tomita Saeeda Paruk Farhanah Paruk |
| author_sort | Mfundo Mabusela |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Depression affects 14.8% – 38.8% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in developed countries. The prevalence and risk factors for depression in patients with RA in sub-Saharan Africa is not well established.
Aim: To determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with RA.
Setting: Public sector regional hospital in South Africa.
Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was undertaken with 110 adult RA patients. A structured socio-demographic and clinical questionnaire, the modified health assessment questionnaire (mHAQ), the simplified disease activity index (SDAI) for RA, the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Household Food Insecurity Access scale (HFIAS) for nutritional status, were used. Correlates of depressive symptomatology in participants with RA were identified using t-tests and regression analyses.
Results: Most of the participants were women (90.9%), 67% had moderate to severe RA disease on the SDAI score, 92.7% reported functional disability (HAQ score of ≥ 1), and 87.2% reported mild to severe depressive symptoms. Unemployment (p 0.01), severe food insecurity (p 0.01) and functional disability (p = 0.02), were significantly associated with the depressive symptoms, but not with disease activity (p = 0.8) or inflammatory markers (p = 0.63). Unemployment (adjusted β = −5.07, p 0.01) and severe food insecurity (adjusted β = −4.47, p 0.01) were significantly associated with depressive symptoms, based on the adjusted regression model.
Conclusion: As RA effects functional status, with the impact of the resulting unemployment and food insecurity being associated with depression, affected people should be screened for depression and managed using a multidisciplinary approach, especially considering the role of social determinants in RA patients with depression. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T04:23:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0e67b9547f544f9081c3b8348aedffa3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1608-9685 2078-6786 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T04:23:41Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | South African Journal of Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-0e67b9547f544f9081c3b8348aedffa32022-12-22T03:02:37ZengAOSISSouth African Journal of Psychiatry1608-96852078-67862022-02-01280e1e710.4102/sajpsychiatry.v28i0.1702587Prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis at a regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South AfricaMfundo Mabusela0Andrew Tomita1Saeeda Paruk2Farhanah Paruk3Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanCentre for Rural Health, School of Nursing and Public Health, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa; and, KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanDepartment of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanDepartment of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanBackground: Depression affects 14.8% – 38.8% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in developed countries. The prevalence and risk factors for depression in patients with RA in sub-Saharan Africa is not well established. Aim: To determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with RA. Setting: Public sector regional hospital in South Africa. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was undertaken with 110 adult RA patients. A structured socio-demographic and clinical questionnaire, the modified health assessment questionnaire (mHAQ), the simplified disease activity index (SDAI) for RA, the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the Household Food Insecurity Access scale (HFIAS) for nutritional status, were used. Correlates of depressive symptomatology in participants with RA were identified using t-tests and regression analyses. Results: Most of the participants were women (90.9%), 67% had moderate to severe RA disease on the SDAI score, 92.7% reported functional disability (HAQ score of ≥ 1), and 87.2% reported mild to severe depressive symptoms. Unemployment (p 0.01), severe food insecurity (p 0.01) and functional disability (p = 0.02), were significantly associated with the depressive symptoms, but not with disease activity (p = 0.8) or inflammatory markers (p = 0.63). Unemployment (adjusted β = −5.07, p 0.01) and severe food insecurity (adjusted β = −4.47, p 0.01) were significantly associated with depressive symptoms, based on the adjusted regression model. Conclusion: As RA effects functional status, with the impact of the resulting unemployment and food insecurity being associated with depression, affected people should be screened for depression and managed using a multidisciplinary approach, especially considering the role of social determinants in RA patients with depression.https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1702rheumatoid arthritisdisease activitydepressionfunctional impairmentfood insecurity |
| spellingShingle | Mfundo Mabusela Andrew Tomita Saeeda Paruk Farhanah Paruk Prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis at a regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa South African Journal of Psychiatry rheumatoid arthritis disease activity depression functional impairment food insecurity |
| title | Prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis at a regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| title_full | Prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis at a regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis at a regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis at a regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| title_short | Prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis at a regional hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa |
| title_sort | prevalence of depressive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis at a regional hospital in kwazulu natal south africa |
| topic | rheumatoid arthritis disease activity depression functional impairment food insecurity |
| url | https://sajp.org.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/1702 |
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