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Depression risk among patients with chronic wounds
P Fino1, G Di Taranto, A Pierro
1Department of Surgery "P. Valdoni", UOC of Plastic Surgery, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy. pasquale.fino@gmail.com.
Insights
Patients with chronic wounds show higher depression scores than healthy individuals. Addressing depression with a multidisciplinary approach may improve chronic wound healing and patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Medical Research
- Psychiatry
- Dermatology
Background:
- Chronic wounds, defined as those exceeding 6 weeks to heal, are linked to depression.
- Leg ulcers are frequently associated with depression among chronic skin conditions.
- Previous studies highlight the connection between chronic wounds and mental health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of depression in patients suffering from various types of chronic wounds.
- To compare depression levels in chronic wound patients versus healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 33 patients with chronic wounds and 33 matched healthy controls participated.
- The Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) survey was administered to all participants.
- Patient demographics: mean age 71 years (range 25-87); control demographics: mean age 73 years (range 31-88).
Main Results:
- The average BDI-II score for patients with chronic wounds was 14.5.
- The average BDI-II score for healthy controls was 8.
- Patients with chronic wounds exhibited significantly higher depression scores.
Conclusions:
- Depression in chronic wound patients stems from multiple factors, necessitating a multidisciplinary treatment strategy.
- Improving patients' psycho-emotional state can enhance treatment compliance.
- Better compliance may lead to improved efficacy in managing chronic wounds.
Objective:
A wound is defined as chronic when it requires more than 6 weeks to heal. The link between chronic wounds and depression was first pointed out by House and Hughes in 1996 and later evaluated by other numerous studies. Several studies demonstrate that among chronic skin wounds causing chronical physical disease, the leg ulcers are the most frequently associated with depression. The aim of our study is to evaluate the prevalence of depression in patients with different types of chronic wounds.
Patients And Methods:
We enrolled a total of 33 patients with chronic wounds and 33 healthy controls matched by sex and age. Both patients and controls underwent a BDI II survey. We evaluated 33 patients, with a mean age of 71 years (range 25-87), and 33 controls, with a mean age of 73 years (range 31-88).
Results:
The average score at the BDI II questionnaire was 14.5 and 8, respectively.
Conclusions:
The depression among patients with chronic wounds has a multifactorial origin that should be treated with a multidisciplinary approach. Since the improvement of the psycho-emotional state means better compliance of the patient, we can also expect a better result in terms of efficacy in chronic wound treatment.
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