Depressive and anxiety disorders associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background Increasing evidence suggests that anxiety and depression may have direct impacts on health status, hospitalization, and exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rather than being consequences or markers of disease severity. Objectives Assessment of depression and anxiety in patients with COPD, and to examine the impact of anxiety and depressive symptoms on psychological and physical functioning. Patients and methods Sixty male patients with COPD recruited from the Chest Department of Beni Seuf University Hospital were divided according to spirometric classification of COPD severity based on postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s into four groups. They were subjected to standardized measure of present state examination test, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Rating Scales for Psychopathological Health Status and Quality of Life Scale, and St George's Respiratory Questionnaire. Results The findings of the study reported that there is high frequency of psychiatric comorbidities in COPD patients especially anxiety and depression, which represents the most frequent psychiatric disorder in COPD. The presence of psychiatric comorbidities increases the impairment in quality of life in COPD patients. Conclusion Psychiatric comorbidities are frequent among COPD patients, especially anxiety and depression. The presence of psychiatric comorbidities increases the impairment in quality of life in COPD patients.