Premium
Anxiety and depression among US adults with arthritis: Prevalence and correlates
Author(s) -
Murphy Louise B.,
Sacks Jeffrey J.,
Brady Teresa J.,
Hootman Jennifer M.,
Chapman Daniel P.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
arthritis care and research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.032
H-Index - 163
eISSN - 2151-4658
pISSN - 2151-464X
DOI - 10.1002/acr.21685
Subject(s) - anxiety , depression (economics) , medicine , logistic regression , mental health , population , psychiatry , cross sectional study , arthritis , confidence interval , anxiety disorder , clinical psychology , environmental health , pathology , economics , macroeconomics
Objective There has been limited characterization of the burden of anxiety and depression, especially the former, among US adults with arthritis in the general population. The study objective was to estimate the prevalence and correlates of anxiety and depression among US adults with doctor‐diagnosed arthritis. Methods The study sample comprised US adults ages ≥45 years with doctor‐diagnosed arthritis (n = 1,793) from the Arthritis Conditions Health Effects Survey (a cross‐sectional, population‐based, random‐digit–dialed telephone interview survey). Anxiety and depression were measured using separate and validated subscales of the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales. Prevalence was estimated for the sample overall and stratified by subgroups. Associations between correlates and each condition were estimated with prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals using logistic regression models. Results Anxiety was more common than depression (31% and 18%, respectively); overall, one‐third of respondents reported at least 1 of the 2 conditions. Most (84%) of those with depression also had anxiety. Multivariable logistic regression modeling failed to identify a distinct profile of characteristics of those with anxiety and/or depression. Only half of the respondents with anxiety and/or depression had sought help for their mental health condition in the past year. Conclusion Despite the clinical focus on depression among people with arthritis, anxiety was almost twice as common as depression. Given their high prevalence, their profound impact on quality of life, and the range of effective treatments available, we encourage health care providers to screen all people with arthritis for both anxiety and depression.