Evaluation of depression and anxiety levels and associated factors in patients admitted to the anemia clinic

Evaluation of Depression and Anxiety Levels and Associated Factors in Patients Admitted to the Anemia Clinic INTRODUCTION: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common type of anemia worldwide and is a significant public health concern. Scientific research has demonstrated a meaningful connection between IDA and psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety. This study aims to measure the anxiety and depression levels of patients with iron deficiency anemia and to evaluate the associated factors through a file review. METHODS: Our study was conducted on individuals who applied to the Patient Blood Management / Anemia outpatient clinic of Sakarya Training and Research Hospital between 01.02.2024 and 31.04.2024. The questionnaire prepared by the researchers was administered face-to-face to those who met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate in the study. The first part of the questionnaire included questions about socio-demographic characteristics, while the second part consisted of the 'Beck Depression Inventory' and the 'STAI I and II Scale'. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics v20.0. Differences between groups were evaluated using independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, One-way ANOVA, or Kruskal-Wallis test, depending on the normality of the distribution and the number of groups. The chi-square test was used to assess the relationship between categorical variables. RESULTS: In our study, which included a total of 281 participants, 2.5% (n=7) were male, and 97.5% (n=274) were female. High levels of anxiety and depression symptoms were detected in patients treated with the diagnosis of IDA at the time of admission. After treatment, a significant decrease in depression and anxiety levels was observed. The study found a positive correlation between the severity of IDA symptoms and the levels of depression and anxiety. Those with chronic diseases had higher IDA symptoms and depression scores. No significant difference was observed in depression and anxiety scores when grouped according to iron status after treatment. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, our study demonstrated that depression and anxiety levels significantly improved with treatment in IDA patients. The relationship between IDA symptoms and mental symptoms was shown. Early diagnosis and treatment of IDA may be effective in improving individuals' quality of life and preventing psychiatric comorbidities. Future prospective and large-sample studies will provide a more comprehensive examination of the relationship between IDA and psychiatric disorders, increase the knowledge in this field, and contribute to the development of more effective treatment strategies. KEYWORDS: Iron Deficiency Anemia, Depression, Anxiety