Emotional distress in chronic hepatitis C patients not receiving antiviral therapy.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence, type, and severity of emotional distress in a large group of consecutive chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients not receiving anti-viral therapy.


METHODS
The brief symptom inventory and a 67-item questionnaire with the SF-36 embedded within it were used to study 220 outpatients with compensated CHC.


RESULTS
Seventy-seven (35%) participants reported significantly elevated global severity index (GSI) T-scores compared to an expected frequency of 10% in population controls. In addition, significantly elevated depression, anxiety, somatization, psychoticism, and obsessive-compulsive subscale T-scores were reported in 28-40% of subjects. Subjects with an active psychiatric co-morbidity had significantly higher GSI and subscale T-scores compared to subjects with active medical co-morbidities and subjects without medical or psychiatric co-morbidities (P<0.01). However, patients with CHC alone also had a higher frequency of elevated GSI T-scores compared to population controls (20 versus 10%). GSI and subscale T-scores were strongly associated with SF-36 summary scores (P<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Clinically significant emotional distress was reported in 35% of CHC patients not receiving antiviral therapy. In addition to depression, a broad array of psychological symptoms were observed. Further investigation into the etiopathogenesis and treatment of emotional distress in CHC patients is warranted.
Fontana
Robert J
RJ
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Michigan Medical School, 3912 Taubman Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0362, USA. rfontana@umich.edu
Hussain
Khozema B
KB
Schwartz
Steven M
SM
Moyer
Cheryl A
CA
Su
Grace L
GL
Lok
Anna S F
AS
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015897:Comorbidity; D003625:Data Collection; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha