Prevalence of anxiety and depression among celiac disease patients

Abstract

Background and Aim: Celiac disease is an immune-mediated intestinal condition with a 1% worldwide incidence caused by gluten sensitivity in a genetically predisposed individual. It manifests as gastrointestinal symptoms, malabsorption-related symptoms, and/or extra intestinal manifestations such as neuropsychiatric problems. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression in celiac disease patients. Patients and Method: This questionnaire based cross-sectional study was carried out on 126 celiac disease patients investigated in the Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology Department of District Headquarter Hospital, Charsadda Pakistan. All the patients with age ≥18 years old diagnosed with celiac disease based on positive serological test and biopsy confirmation were enrolled. The questionnaire consisted of demographic details, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) score, and nine questions that assessed depressive symptoms. SPSS version 27 was used for data analysis. Results: The overall mean age was 36.5± 12.16 years. Of the 126 total patients, there were 98 (77.8%) female and 28 (22.2%) male. The incidence of anxiety and depressive symptoms were 84.1% (n=106) and 81% (n=102) respectively. There was no causal relationship found between any of the factors and the occurrence of anxiety or depression symptoms.