Associations Between Depression and Reduced Quality of Life in Women with Non-Radiographic Axial Spondyloarthritis: A...

Background/Objectives: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease that adversely affects both physical and mental health. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the associations between spondyloarthritis features (SpA-fs) and disease-related variables (DRVs: disease duration, Visual Analogue Scale, Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score [ASDAS], Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease/Functional Activity Index), as well as potential correlations with quality of life (QoL) and symptoms of anxiety and depression in women with non-radiographic axSpA (nr-axSpA). Methods: This study included 78 women with nr-axSpA. Data were obtained from medical records and assessed using two validated instruments: the Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: The mean age of the cohort was 39.8 ± 7.8 years, with a mean disease duration of 4.80 ± 5.37 years and a mean ASDAS of 2.09 ± 1.14. DRVs, correlated positively with HADS scores and negatively with SF-36 scores. Patients with family histories of SpA had significantly lower mental-component SF-36 scores and higher HADS-D scores. Lower quality of life was associated with DRVs, particularly disease duration. Significant associations with depressive symptoms were observed for both SpA features and DRVs. Conclusions: In women with nr-axSpA, both SpA-fs and DRVs are associated with reduced QoL and elevate the risk of anxiety and depression, underscoring the need for thorough patient evaluation that encompasses psychological health.