title: Strategies to improve anxiety and depression in patients with COPD: a mental health perspective.
abstract: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory lung disease characterized by progressive and only partially reversible symptoms. Worldwide, the incidence of COPD presents a disturbing continuous increase. Anxiety and depression are remarkably common in COPD patients, but the evidence about optimal approaches for managing psychological comorbidities in COPD remains unclear and largely speculative. Pharmacological treatment based on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors has almost replaced tricyclic antidepressants. The main psychological intervention is cognitive behavioral therapy. Of particular interest are pulmonary rehabilitation programs, which can reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms in these patients. Although the literature on treating anxiety and depression in patients with COPD is limited, we believe that it points to the implementation of personalized strategies to address their psychopathological comorbidities.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Department, "Sotiria" General Hospital of Chest Disease, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tselebis
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Department, "Sotiria" General Hospital of Chest Disease, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Argyro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pachi
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology Department, "Elena Venizelou" Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ilias
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Department, "Metropolitan" General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Epaminondas
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kosmas
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Department, "Sotiria" General Hospital of Chest Disease, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Dionisios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bratis
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Department, "Sotiria" General Hospital of Chest Disease, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgios
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moussas
authors.affiliation: Department of Thoracic Medicine, University of Crete Medical School, Heraklion, Greece; Social Medicine, Laboratory of Epidemiology, University of Crete Medical School, Heraklion, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tzanakis
keywords: COPD; anxiety; depression; pharmacological treatment; psychotherapy