Elevated Risks for Depression and Anxiety Following Diagnosis of Multiple Myeloma

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) may be particularly vulnerable to depression and anxiety following diagnosis due to high disease burden, treatment-related side effects, and the incurable nature of the disease.

In this nationwide population-based cohort study, we used Danish population-based registries to investigate the risk of depression and anxiety in patients with MM (symptomatic MM and smoldering MM) compared with age- and sex-matched individuals from the general population.

A total of 3861 patients with MM and 19 305 matched comparators were included (median age 73 years; 59% male). During follow-up, depression and/or anxiety occurred in 315 MM patients (8.2%) and 660 comparators (3.4%). MM was associated with a substantially increased risk of depression and/or anxiety (adjusted HR 2.56, 95% CI 2.23-2.94). The association was strongest among patients with symptomatic MM (adjusted HR 2.63, 95% CI 2.21-3.12) but remained elevated among patients with smoldering MM (adjusted HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.10-1.87). The association was strongest during the first year following diagnosis and attenuated over time.

These findings demonstrate an elevated risk of depression and/or anxiety among patients with both symptomatic and smoldering MM and highlight the need for increased awareness of psychological morbidity, particularly during the first year after diagnosis.