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[Depressive and anxiety symptoms in hereditary connective tissue disorders : case description and systematic
Insights
Individuals with hereditary connective tissue disorders like Loeys-Dietz syndrome often experience depression and anxiety. Pain, fatigue, and functional limitations appear to contribute to these mental health challenges.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Rare Diseases
- Psychiatry and Mental Health
- Rheumatology and Connective Tissue Diseases
Background:
- Hereditary connective tissue disorders (HCTDs) are congenital conditions causing tissue weakness and multisystem issues.
- Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS), Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), and Marfan syndrome (MFS) are examples of HCTDs.
- A case of a 14-year-old with LDS presenting with depressive and anxiety symptoms prompted this investigation.
Conclusions:
- There is a notable link between hereditary connective tissue disorders and higher rates of depression and anxiety.
- Pain, fatigue, social factors, and functional impairments are likely contributors to mental health issues in these patients.
- Further research is needed to pinpoint specific contributing factors for targeted prevention and treatment strategies.
Abstract:
Hereditary connective tissue disorders are a broad group of congenital disorders that are characterized by a pathological weakness of the connective tissue as a result of an incorrect genesis, leading to multisystem complaints. We describe a 14-year-old patient with the hereditary connective tissue disorder Loeys-Dietz syndrome who was admitted to a child psychiatric crisis unit because of depressive and anxiety symptoms. A systematic literature search was carried out to analyze the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in individuals with hereditary connective tissue disorders Loeys-Dietz syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and Marfan syndrome, to identify a possible association between these disorders and explanations for this. We conclude that there is an increased incidence of depression and anxiety symptoms in which pain, fatigue, social support and functioning, quality of life and functional limitations seem to play a role. There is a need for further research to determine exactly which factors contribute and how these can be targeted in prevention and treatment.
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