Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Patients with thyroid abnormalities often also suffer with anxiety and depression. Our objectives in this study was to investigate prospectively the effect of thyroid dysfunction per se on quality of life and levels of depression and anxiety.

Methods: A total of 102 patients who were referred to thyroid clinic were enrolled in the study in consecutive order. Enrollment criteria comprised patient aged 20–60 with no major life events, previous history of depression, anxiety, or any other significant co-morbidities. Patients were actively excluded if they had postpartum depression, previous history of overdoses or were on antidepressant or previous psychiatric history. These comprised 32 patients with hyperthyroidism, 34 patients that were euthyroid,and 36 patients that were hypothyroid.

Results: Patients with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism were more likely to experience a poor quality of life than patients that were euthyroid. Hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism were more likely to be associated with depression or anxiety than euthyroid patients. Anxiety, depression and quality of life were evaluated using Hamilton Anxiety rating scale and shortform 36.

Conclusion: Treatment of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism and return to euthyroid status is accompanied by improvement in quality of life and psychological symptoms.

Larger controlled randomised studies are required in future that asses anxiety,depression and quality of life in thyroid patients and follow through treatment so that they can act as their own control.