Association between Thyroid Dysfunction and Common Mental Disorders (Anxiety and Depression): A university...

Background Anxiety and depression have been frequently reported to be associated with thyroid dysfunctions. Many symptoms of anxiety and depression overlap with thyroid disorders sometimes masking the diagnosis. Objective To look for association between thyroid diseases and newly diagnosed case of anxiety or depression in out-patient department. Method It was a hospital based descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted in a period of six months after ethical approval from institutional review committee with participants aged 18-65 years, who wished to give consent for the study and investigations. Cases of anxiety and depression was diagnosed as per the International Classification of Diseases-10, clinical description and diagnostic guideline and self-administered proforma was used for demographic profile. Sample analysis and comparison of different groups in the study was done using chi-square test; p-value < 0.05 was considered for statistical significance. Result Anxiety disorders was higher in individuals with normal thyroid function (54.5%), and depression appeared to be more common among individuals with abnormal thyroid function (60.9%); it did not have any statistical significance. Conclusion Depressive disorders were common among thyroid disorder patients. Further study is needed to examine the relationship between thyroid disorder and common mental disorders to help improve mental health outcomes.