Depression and Anxiety in Different Thyroid Function States

Abstract

Previous studies on hypothyroid subjects have indicated serious psychiatric symptoms affecting the patients’ quality of life. The present prospective cross-sectional study’s aim was to examine these symptoms in thyroid patients with different functional states. A total of 254 patients (age: 56 ± 14 years [mean ± standard deviation], 181 female, 73 male) referred to a hospital for radioiodine treatment of hyperthyroidism or for follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer, respectively, were included. All patients underwent the twelve-item general health questionnaire, which is an instrument for detecting mood disturbances. Euthyroid and hyperthyroid patients did not differ significantly in their general health questionnaire score (11 ± 5 vs. 11 ± 7), nor did subclinical hyperthyroid (11 ± 6) or subclinical hypothyroid subjects (12 ± 5). In contrast, hypothyroid patients showed a significantly higher mean score (17 ± 7, p < 0.001, ANOVA). Binary logistic regression revealed that hypothyroidism increases age and gender-adjusted risk for critical mood deterioration by seven-fold. Thus, hypothyroidism represents a widely underestimated functional condition that may severely affect mental health.

Key words

Hypothyroidism · Radioisotope therapy · Thyroid neoplasms · Quality of life · General health questionnaire

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