Anxiety and depression in adult patients with familial Mediterranean fever: a study comparing patients living in Germany and Turkey.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) living in Germany or Turkey a prospective study was conducted.


METHODS
Forty FMF patients living in Turkey (T), 40 FMF patients living in Germany (G) and 40 healthy controls living in Germany (C) were included. Patients and controls were of Turkish ancestry. G were compared to T and C. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used with a cut-off of ≥ 8 for each subdomain score (HADS-A, HADS-D).


RESULTS
Baseline characteristics of G were comparable to T and C except for age (T: 30.5 years, G: 35.2 years, C: 34.6 years; T vs. G P = 0.045), duration of disease (T: 14.4 years, G: 24; P < 0.001), C-reactive protein (T: 0.78 mg/dL, G: 0.78 mg/dL, C: 0.35 mg/dL; G vs. C P = 0.03). Prevalence of anxiety was higher in G compared to C (T: 65%, G: 52.5%, C: 22.5%: G vs. C P < 0.05). No difference was found for the prevalence of depression (T: 30%, G: 35%, C: 20%). The association between FMF and anxiety in subjects living in Germany persisted after adjusting for age and gender in a regression analysis and was robust to an adjustment for coexisting depression. Anxiety and depression did not correlate with FMF disease severity assessed with the Pras score.


CONCLUSIONS
Anxiety, but not depression is more common among FMF patients living in Germany compared to healthy controls. No significant difference could be found between FMF patients living in Germany or Turkey concerning the prevalence of anxiety or depression.
Department of Internal Medicine I, St. Josef-Hospital Bochum, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.|Department of Internal Medicine I, Marienhospital Herne, Ruhr-University Bochum, Herne, Germany.
Arnd
A
Giese
Department of Internal Medicine I, Marienhospital Herne, Ruhr-University Bochum, Herne, Germany.|Institute for Radiologic Diagnostics, Bergmannsheil, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Ahmet
A
Örnek
Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
Levent
L
Kilic
Department of Internal Medicine I, Marienhospital Herne, Ruhr-University Bochum, Herne, Germany.
Mustafa
M
Kurucay
Department of Internal Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
Süleyman N
SN
Şendur
Department of Paediatrics, University Medical Centre Essen, Essen, Germany.|AID-NET Autoinflammatory Disorders (AID) in Children: Genetics, Disease Mechanisms, Diagnostic Markers and Therapeutic Targets, Essen, Germany.
Elke
E
Lainka
Department of Internal Medicine I, Marienhospital Herne, Ruhr-University Bochum, Herne, Germany.
Bernhard F
BF
Henning
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010505:Familial Mediterranean Fever / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
Germany; Turkey; adult; anxiety and depression; familial Mediterranean fever; severity of illness index