Incisional hernia and the risk of incident depression: a population-based propensity score-matched cohort study

Incisional hernia is a common long-term complication of abdominal surgery and is traditionally seen as a structural defect. However, recent patient-centered research suggests that abdominal wall pathology may also impose substantial psychological burden. Whether incisional hernia is associated with an increased risk of clinically diagnosed depression at the population level remains unclear.

This retrospective cohort study used data from the German Disease Analyzer database (IQVIA). Adults with a first documented diagnosis of incisional hernia (ICD-10: K43.0-K43.2) between 2005 and 2024 were identified. Individuals with recent psychiatric disorders were excluded to assess incident depression. Patients were matched 1:1 to controls without hernia using propensity scores based on age, sex, index year, consultation frequency, somatic comorbidities, and remote history of depression. The primary outcome was incident depression (ICD-10: F32, F33) within five years. Associations were analyzed using conditional Cox regression.

A total of 10,075 patients with incisional hernia were matched to 10,075 patients without hernia. During five years of follow-up, 18.4% of patients with and 16.5% without incisional hernia were diagnosed with depression. Incisional hernia was associated with a slightly increased risk of incident depression (hazard ratio 1.12; 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.20). The association was more pronounced among women and among individuals without prior depression.

Incisional hernia is associated with a slightly increased risk of clinically diagnosed depression. These findings indicate a modest statistical association between incisional hernia and subsequent depression diagnoses in routine care. While the magnitude of the association was small, awareness of potential psychosocial comorbidity may be relevant in selected clinical contexts.