Quality of Life in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Other Chronic Diseases: Highlighting the Amplified Impact of Depressive Episodes

Diego Primavera; Mauro Giovanni Carta; Ferdinando Romano; Federica Sancassiani; Elisabetta Chessa; Alberto Floris; Giulia Cossu; Antonio Egidio Nardi; Matteo Piga; Alberto Cauli

doi:10.3390/healthcare12020233

Quality of Life in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Other Chronic Diseases: Highlighting the Amplified Impact of Depressive Episodes

Healthcare (Basel). 2024 Jan 17;12(2):233. doi: 10.3390/healthcare12020233.

Authors

Diego Primavera¹, Mauro Giovanni Carta¹, Ferdinando Romano², Federica Sancassiani¹, Elisabetta Chessa^{1

3}, Alberto Floris^{1

3}, Giulia Cossu¹, Antonio Egidio Nardi⁴, Matteo Piga^{1

3}, Alberto Cauli^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, 09127 Cagliari, Italy.
² Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00100 Rome, Italy.
³ UOC Reumatologia, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Cagliari, 09124 Cagliari, Italy.
⁴ Panic and Respiration Laboratory, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 22725, Brazil.

Abstract

Background: Extensive research has explored SLE's impact on health-related quality of life (H-QoL), especially its connection with mental wellbeing. Recent evidence indicates that depressive syndromes significantly affect H-QoL in SLE. This study aims to quantify SLE's impact on H-QoL, accounting for comorbid depressive episodes through case-control studies.

Methods: A case-control study was conducted with SLE patients (meeting the ACR/EULAR 2019 criteria of age ≥ 18). The control group was chosen from a community database. H-QoL was measured with the SF-12 questionnaire, and PHQ-9 was used to assess depressive episodes.

Results: SLE significantly worsened H-QoL with an attributable burden of 5.37 ± 4.46. When compared to other chronic diseases, only multiple sclerosis had a worse impact on H-QoL. Major depressive episodes had a significant impact on SLE patients' H-QoL, with an attributable burden of 9.43 ± 5.10, similar to its impact on solid cancers but greater than its impact on other diseases.

Conclusions: SLE has a comparable impact on QoL to serious chronic disorders. Concomitant depressive episodes notably worsened SLE patients' QoL, exceeding other conditions, similar to solid tumors. This underscores the significance of addressing mood disorders in SLE patients. Given the influence of mood disorders on SLE outcomes, early identification and treatment are crucial.

Keywords: SLE; depression; quality of life.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by P.O.R. SARDEGNA F.S.E. 2014–2020—Axis III Education and Training, Thematic Objective: 10, Specific Objective: 10.5, Action of the fi Partnership Agreement: 10.5.12 “Call for proposals for the funding of research projects—Year 2017”.