title: Depression and associated factors in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of depression and associated factors in patients (n = 100) with lumbar spinal stenosis selected for surgical treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Depression was assessed with the 21-item Beck Depression Inventory. Psychological well-being was assessed with Life Satisfaction Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale and Sense of Coherence Scale. Physical functioning and pain were assessed with the Oswestry disability index, the questionnaire devised by Stucki and the Visual Analogue Scale. All questionnaires were administered before surgical treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty percent of the patients with LSS were found to have clinically important depression. In univariate analyses, subjective disability measured with the Oswestry disability index, low sense of coherence and poor life satisfaction were common in depressed patients. In the multiple logistic regression analyses, being dissatisfied with life was associated with depression. When sense of coherence score was included in the model, then only low sense of coherence was independently associated with depression. Neither socio-demographic nor pain-related factors associated with depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Clinically important depression is rather common among preoperative patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. The factors associated with depression are subjective disability of everyday living and decreased life satisfaction. A low sense of coherence is an important correlate of depression. The results underline the importance of assessing depression in clinical practice dealing with these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland. sanna.sinikallio@kuh.fi
authors.forename: Sanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sinikallio
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aalto
authors.forename: Olavi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Airaksinen
authors.forename: Arto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herno
authors.forename: Heikki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kröger
authors.forename: Sakari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Savolainen
authors.forename: Veli
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Turunen
authors.forename: Heimo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Viinamäki
mesh_terms: D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D015995:Prevalence; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires