Context: The association between depression and thyroid function is well known. Both conditions express many similar symptoms, thus making the diagnosis and treatment difficult.
Aims: To find the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among patients with hypothyroid.
Settings and design: Cross-sectional study.
Materials and methodology: A total of 100 patients diagnosed as hypothyroidism were evaluated using Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) and Hamilton scale for anxiety (HAM-A).
Statistical analysis used: The data were analyzed using the SPSS for Windows version 17.0 software. The quantitative data were expressed in number and percentage. The results obtained were compared using the Chi-square test.
Results: Females constituted 70% of the sample. A total of 60% reported some degree of depression based on HDRS (males - 56.63% and females - 64.29%) whereas about 63% out of the total patients screened showed some degree of anxiety (males -56.66% and females - 65.72%) based on HAM-A. The most common depressive symptom among the males was depressed mood (73.33%) and among females was gastrointestinal somatic symptoms (68.54%). The most common anxiety symptom among the males was depressed mood (70.0%) and among females was anxious mood (92.85%).
Conclusions: Psychiatric symptoms/disorders are common in patients with thyroid dysfunction.
Keywords: Anxiety; depression; hypothyroid; psychiatry symptoms.