Anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with dengue fever and their correlation with symptom severity

To study the prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with dengue and to examine their correlation with symptom severity.

In this cross sectional study, 531 consecutive patients who met the World Health Organization criteria for dengue fever admitted to Mayo Hospital, Lahore between September and November 2011 were administered the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). In addition to the HADS, the severity of their symptoms, like headache, myalgias/arthralgias, fever, and retro/periorbital pain, was assessed on a 3-point scale (mild, moderate, and severe).

About 60% of the patients in our study met the criteria for anxiety and 62.2% of the patients met criteria for depression. Severity of fever, headache, myalgias and arthralgias, and retro/periorbital pain was positively correlated with both anxiety (Correlation coefficients: 0.148, 0.247, 0.184, 0.184 respectively and P < 0.01 for all) and depression scores (Correlation coefficients: 0.098, 0.154, 0.131, 0.125 respectively and P value < 0.01 for all). The strongest correlation was found between severity of headache and scores for both anxiety and depression. Both mean anxiety and depression scores were significantly higher in patients with platelet count below median (30,000/mm3) than in patients with platelet count above median (9.1 +/- 4.7 vs 8.2 +/- 4.7, P < 0.03, and 9.5 +/- 4.5 vs 8.5 +/- 4.5, P < 0.01, respectively).

A majority of patients with dengue have anxiety and depression symptoms. Psychiatric evaluation should be done in all Dengue patients so timely treatment can be initiated.