The Assessment of Anxiety and Depression and its Associated Factors in SLE

Depression and anxiety are common neuropsychiatric complaints in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). While numerous studies have been performed to investigate the prevalence, impact, and associated factors of depression and anxiety, current literature presents mixed results. In particular, the prevalence of anxiety and depression varies substantially between studies due to methodological limitations, and heterogeneity in defining anxiety and depression, patient selection, and metrics used. Moreover, there is a lack of studies evaluating the validity, reliability, and interpretability of commonly used screening tools for depression and anxiety in SLE patients.

Further investigations should aim to reach a consensus surrounding the role of controversial associated factors in depression and anxiety of SLE patients, while also focusing on the identification of novel factors that have not yet been highlighted in the literature.