Researchers synthesized evidence from MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, and PsycINFO to investigate the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and identify associated factors. The researchers conducted a systematic review and found six eligible studies. The prevalence of major depressive disorder ranged from 4% to 29% across different patient populations. The prevalence of any anxiety disorder was found to be 49% to 51%, and the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder was 3% in the studied populations. Factors associated with depressive symptoms included higher education, marital status, pulmonary involvement, breathing problems, and tender joint counts. However, no significant associations were found for anxiety symptoms. The study highlights the high prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in SSc, but it also emphasizes the need for larger representative studies with standardized assessment methods.
Reference: Nassar EL, Abdulkareem DA, Thombs BD. Results from a living systematic review of the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders and factors associated with symptoms in systemic sclerosis. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):5181. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-31919-8
