[Anxiety-depressive disorders and bronchiectasis]

Bronchiectasis is a chronic lung disease that may be associated with anxiety-depressive disorders affecting the quality of life of patients. Detecting these anxiety-depressive disorders may be necessary in the support and overall management of a patient with bronchiectasis.

To evaluate the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with bronchiectasis and to investigate the possible correlation between the severity of the disease and the importance of these psychological disorders.

This was a prospective study that included 53 patients with stable bronchiectasis and without other comorbidities. All the patients underwent a complete clinical examination, spirometry and chest computed tomography. All the 53 patients responded to the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) questionnaire.

Anxiety was present in 22.7% of patients and depression in 20.8%. Subjects who had an anxiety disorder had symptoms primarily of dyspnoea (P=0.001), a low FEV (P=0.04) and respiratory failure at a stage requiring home oxygen therapy (P=0.009). A similar comparison of patients with and without depressive disorder again found a high prevalence of dyspnea (P=0.003), a low FEV (P=0.04), and chronic respiratory failure in the depressive patients.

Symptoms of depression and anxiety are common in patients with bronchiectasis and appear to be associated with dyspnoea. Early detection is necessary in the context of the overall management of these patients.