Depression and anxiety among Filipino myasthenia gravis patients seen in a public tertiary hospital in Metro Manila

Abstract

Anxiety and depression complicate treatment of Myasthenia Gravis (MG) as it overlaps with somatic symptoms related to the disease itself. While both are established factors for disease severity in developed countries, similar research in underdeveloped regions is lacking. This study aims to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with MG in a tertiary hospital in the Philippines, and to identify the sociodemographic and illness related factors that affect both mental disorders. Locally validated Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale-Pilipino (HADS-P) questionnaires were administered to 59 consenting MG patients to screen for anxiety and depression. Those who scored more than 8 for each subset of HADS-P were presumed to have anxiety, depression or both. The prevalence of anxiety and depression was 50.9% and 15.3%, respectively. Among the factors analyzed, only the female sex had a significant association with anxiety (p=0.019). The total HADS-P score (p=0.009) and HADS-P score for anxiety (p=0.008) had significant positive correlation with MGFA class. The high prevalence of anxiety and depression in MG warrants proper screening and recognition to institute proper treatment and management. This will also prevent confusion with somatic symptoms associated with MG.