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Depression and anxiety in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Correlations between the distress of patients and caregivers
Author(s) -
Chen Dezhi,
Guo Xiaoyan,
Zheng Zhenzhen,
Wei Qianqian,
Song Wei,
Cao Bei,
Huang Rui,
Yang Rong,
Shang Huifang
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
muscle and nerve
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.025
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1097-4598
pISSN - 0148-639X
DOI - 10.1002/mus.24325
Subject(s) - anxiety , amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , depression (economics) , rating scale , distress , hamilton anxiety rating scale , population , psychology , medicine , hospital anxiety and depression scale , psychiatry , physical therapy , clinical psychology , disease , developmental psychology , environmental health , economics , macroeconomics
: Depression and anxiety are common in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and caregivers. Methods : In this study we investigated 93 ALS patients and their 93 caregivers. Depression and anxiety were quantified by the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, respectively. Results : Very strong correlations between depression and anxiety were found among patients and their caregivers. The severity of depression and anxiety of patients correlated moderately with that of their caregivers. No correlations were found between the severity of depression and anxiety and ALS Functional Rating Scale–Revised (ALSFRS‐R) score or for disease duration among patients and caregivers. However, severity of depression and anxiety in caregivers correlated with their age. Conclusions : Depression and anxiety in ALS patients and their caregivers were associated closely with each other but not with physical disability or disease duration in our Chinese population. Muscle Nerve 51: 353–357, 2015