title: Study of depressed mood and quality of life in asthma patients in Tehran using the 28-item general health questionnaire.
abstract: The prevalence of depression among the general population has been estimated as up to 50% and even higher among asthmatics. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the prevalence of depressed mood among asthma patients (n = 280) attending a pulmonary clinic in Tehran and compare it with measures of severity of asthma and of health and well-being. The prevalence of depression symptoms on the 28-item general health questionnaire (GHQ-28) was 65.4%. Patients' individual scores on the GHQ-28 were significantly correlated with the number of asthma medications used, frequency of visits to the pulmonary clinic and frequency of hospitalizations for asthma, but not with FEV1. A significant correlation was found between patients' total scores on the GHQ-28 and total and subscale scores on the Saint George respiratory questionnaire. The GHQ-28 may be useful for screening for asthma patients who need more attention and therapeutic intervention for psychiatric disorders.
authors.affiliation: Massih Daneshvari Hospital, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shabid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Tafti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cheraghvandi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Safa
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Eragh
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mokri
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Talischi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001249:Asthma / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult