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. 2021 Sep 1;27(6S):S180-S185.
doi: 10.1097/RHU.0000000000001506.

Depression Is a Major Determinant of Functional Capacity in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Carolina A Isnardi  1 , Dafne Capelusnik  1 , Emilce Edith Schneeberger  1 , Marcela Bazzarelli  2 , Laura Berloco  2 , Eliana Blanco  3 , Cristian A Benítez  3 , Federico Luján Benavidez  3 , Santiago Scarafia  4 , María A Lázaro  4 , Rodolfo Pérez Alamino  5 , Francisco Colombres  5 , María P Kohan  6 , Julia Sosa  6 , Luciana Gonzalez Lucero  7 , Ana L Barbaglia  7 , Hernán Maldonado Ficco  8 , Gustavo Citera  1
Affiliations

Depression Is a Major Determinant of Functional Capacity in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Carolina A Isnardi et al. J Clin Rheumatol. .

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression among rheumatoid arthritis (RA) Argentinean patients and its association with sociodemographic and clinical factors.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of consecutive adults with RA. Sociodemographic data, comorbidities, RA disease activity, and current treatment were assessed. The following instruments were used to evaluate quality of life (EQ-5D-3 L [EURO Quality 5-dimension 3 lines], QOL-RA [Quality of Life-Rheumatoid Arthritis]), functional capacity (HAQ-A [Health Assessment Questionnaire-Argentinean version]), and depression (PHQ-9 [Patient Health Questionnaire 9]; scores 5-9: mild, 10-14: moderate, 15-19: moderate-severe, and ≥20: severe depression, a cutoff value ≥10 is diagnostic of major depression).

Results: Two hundred fifty-eight patients were included, with a median disease duration of 9 years (interquartile range, 3.6-16.7 years). The m PHQ-9 score was 6 (interquartile range, 2-12.3 years). The prevalence of major depression was 33.8%. The frequency of mild, moderate, moderate/severe, and severe depression was 66 (25.6%), 42 (16.3%), 27 (10.5%), and 18 (7%), respectively. Patients with major depression had worse functional capacity (HAQ-A: mean ± SD, 1.6 ± 0.8 vs. 0.7 ± 0.7; p < 0.0001), poorer quality of life (QOL-RA: mean ± SD, 5.4 ± 1.8 vs. 7.3 ± 1.6; p < 0.0001), greater pain (visual analog scale: mean ± SD, 56.2 ± 27.5 mm vs. 33.4 ± 25.7 mm; p < 0.0001), higher disease activity (Disease Activity Score in 28 joints: mean ± SD, 4.3 ± 1.4 vs. 3.3 ± 1.3; p < 0.0001), higher frequency of comorbidities (67% vs. 33%; p = 0.017), and lower frequency of physical activity (22% vs. 35%; p = 0.032). In the multivariate analysis, patients with moderate and severe depression had worse functional capacity (odds ratio, 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.6-4.3; p < 0.0001) and quality of life (odds ratio, 0.7; 95% confidence interval, 0.5-0.8; p < 0.0001), independently of disease activity.

Conclusions: A third of RA patients in this Argentinean cohort had major depression. In those patients, depression was associated with worst functional capacity and quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

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