Depression and anxiety in different thyroid function states.
Previous studies on hypothyroid subjects have indicated serious psychiatric symptoms affecting the patients' quality of life. The present prospective cross-sectional study's aim was to examine these symptoms in thyroid patients with different functional states. A total of 254 patients (age: 56 +/- 14 years [mean +/- standard deviation], 181 female, 73 male) referred to a hospital for radioiodine treatment of hyperthyroidism or for follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer, respectively, were included. All patients underwent the twelve-item general health questionnaire, which is an instrument for detecting mood disturbances. Euthyroid and hyperthyroid patients did not differ significantly in their general health questionnaire score (11 +/- 5 vs. 11 +/- 7), nor did subclinical hyperthyroid (11 +/- 6) or subclinical hypothyroid subjects (12 +/- 5). In contrast, hypothyroid patients showed a significantly higher mean score (17 +/- 7, p < 0.001, ANOVA). Binary logistic regression revealed that hypothyroidism increases age and gender-adjusted risk for critical mood deterioration by seven-fold. Thus, hypothyroidism represents a widely underestimated functional condition that may severely affect mental health.
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany. Rolf.Larisch@uni-duesseldorf.de
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R
Larisch
K
K
Kley
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S
Nikolaus
W
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Sitte
M
M
Franz
H
H
Hautzel
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Tress
H-W
HW
Müller
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000523:psychology*; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000523:psychology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires