Subjective memory complaints among patients on sick leave are associated with symptoms of fatigue and anxiety.

Julie K Aasvik,Nils I Landrø,Petter C Borchgrevink,Tore C Stiles,Astrid Woodhouse,Henrik B Jacobsen

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01338

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify symptoms associated with subjective memory complaints (SMCs) among subjects who are currently on sick leave due to symptoms of chronic pain, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and insomnia.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, subjects (n = 167) who were currently on sick leave were asked to complete an extensive survey consisting of the following: items addressing their sociodemographics, one item from the SF-8 health survey measuring pain, Chalder Fatigue Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Insomnia Severity Index, and Everyday Memory Questionnaire – Revised. General linear modeling was used to analyze variables associated with SMCs.Results: Symptoms of fatigue (p-value < 0.001) and anxiety (p-value = 0.001) were uniquely and significantly associated with perceived memory failures. The associations with symptoms of pain, depression, and insomnia were not statistically significant.Conclusions: Subjective memory complaints should be recognized as part of the complex symptomatology among patients who report multiple symptoms, especially in cases of fatigue and anxiety. Self-report questionnaires measuring perceived memory failures may be a quick and easy way to incorporate and extend this knowledge into clinical practice.

Highlights

The main aim of the study was to identify which of the five symptoms is significantly associated with subjective memory complaint
Analyses confirmed that the excluded subjects were similar to the sample population in terms of their symptoms of chronic pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and insomnia
None of the subjects had a diagnosis of insomnia or sleep-disturbances. 25.7% (n = 44) were referred based on a description of their health complaints rather than a specific diagnosis. 23.4% (n = 40) of the sample had two diagnoses, 4.7% (n = 8) had three diagnoses, TABLE 1 | Means and SD of the various symptom measures

Summary

Introduction

Subjective memory complaints (SMCs) have been associated with conditions of chronic pain (McCracken and Iverson, 2001; Katz et al, 2004; Munoz and Esteve, 2005; Tesio et al, 2014), fatigue (Cope et al, 1995; Suhr, 2003; Roth et al, 2005), depression (Comijs et al, 2002; Roth et al, 2005; Mowla et al, 2007), and anxiety (O‘Boyle et al, 1990; Derouesne et al, 1999) as well as insomnia (Kronholm et al, 2009; Magali et al, 2012). Subjective memory complaints are considered as one of the major diagnostic criteria’s for depression (DSM-5). It has been associated with mild cognitive impairment (Erk et al, 2011) and has been highlighted as a potential marker for future dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (Stewart et al, 2011; Stewart, 2012). Despite the frequency of SMCs and their potential negative impacts, SMCs remain one of the least recognized and assessed aspects within the field of occupational health psychology

Methods

Results

Conclusion