Prevalence of self-reported thyroid disease among adults with depression

Thyroid disorders are a common comorbidity in patients with depression, yet there is limited information available about the clinical epidemiology of thyroid diseases in this specific population. This study aims to describe the prevalence of thyroid disease among US adults with depression from 2007 to 2018.

This cross-sectional study used nationally representative data collected through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2018. Age-standardized prevalence of thyroid disease among depressed patients was calculated within 4-year survey periods (2007-2010, 2011-2014, and 2015-2018), and adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population.

In our weighed sample, 6.1% of depressed individuals and 4.3% of non-depressed individuals reported thyroid disease between 2007 and 2018 (P < 0.0001). The age-standardized prevalence of thyroid disease in patients with depression increased over time, from 5.4% (95%CI, 4.6%-6.2%) in 2007-2010 to 6.8% (95%CI, 5.8%-8.0%) in 2015-2018 (P for trend = 0.0270). Furthermore, thyroid disease prevalence was highest in non-Hispanic white individuals, increased with age, and tended to be higher in women. Mean depression scores in patients with thyroid disease (9.1; 95%CI, 8.7-9.5) did not significantly different from those without thyroid disease (9.1; 95%CI, 9.0-9.3) (P = 0.96).

The age-standardized prevalence of thyroid disease among US adults with depression exhibited a consistent increase from 2007 to 2018, with the highest rate occurring in older, non-Hispanic white individuals, and women.