An evaluation of depression, anxiety and fatigue in patients with Behçet's disease

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Systemic Vasculitis
• Inflammatory Diseases

Background:

• Behçet's disease (BD) is a systemic vasculitis of unknown cause.
• BD is associated with significant fatigue and reduced quality of life (QoL).
• Understanding factors influencing QoL in BD is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between disease activity (BDCAF) and QoL (BDQoL) in BD patients.
• To assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and fatigue in BD patients.
• To explore correlations between fatigue, anxiety, depression, and disease activity.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 155 BD patients and 107 healthy controls.
• Participants completed questionnaires: Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue (MAF), Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HADS) scale, and BDQoL.
• Disease activity was measured using the Behçet's Disease Current Activity Form (BDCAF) and Physician's Global Assessment (PGA).

Main Results:

• BD patients reported significantly higher anxiety (HADS-A), depression (HADS-D), and fatigue (MAF) scores than controls.
• Active BD patients exhibited higher MAF and HADS-A scores compared to inactive BD patients.
• Fatigue scores (MAF) positively correlated with anxiety (HADS-A), depression (HADS-D), disease activity (BDCAF), and QoL (BDQoL).

Conclusions:

• Fatigue and anxiety are common in clinically active BD patients.
• Active disease status is linked to increased fatigue and anxiety.
• These findings highlight the impact of disease activity on patient well-being and QoL.