Predictive Model for Anxiety and Depression in Spanish Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Area of Science:

• Pulmonary Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The link between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and mental health conditions like anxiety and depression requires further investigation.
• Cross-country variations in the prevalence of these comorbidities may exist.
• This study aimed to characterize the association in a Spanish population using a predictive model.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and anxiety/depression in a Spanish cohort.
• To identify sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with these psychiatric comorbidities.
• To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a predictive model for anxiety and depression in COPD patients.

Main Methods:

• A prospective transversal descriptive study involving 204 stable COPD patients.
• Anxiety and depression were diagnosed via psychiatric assessment using ICD-10 criteria.
• Sociodemographic, clinical, and lung function data were analyzed, including the BODE index.

Main Results:

• 36% of stable COPD patients presented with psychiatric comorbidities, with 76% unaware of their diagnosis.
• Prevalence included 19% with anxiety disorder, 9.8% with depression, and 7.3% with mixed anxiety-depression.
• Key predictive factors identified were younger age, higher education, lack of support, higher BODE index, and increased exacerbations (AUC=0.765).

Conclusions:

• Psychiatric disorders in COPD are linked to sociodemographic factors and disease severity.
• Anxiety disorders are more prevalent than depression among COPD patients.
• Most patients with psychiatric comorbidities remain undiagnosed, emphasizing the need for structured psychiatric screening.