Prevalence of depression in patients referred with snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea. Issue 6 (9th June 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Douglas, N.; Young, A.; Roebuck, T.; Ho, S.; Miller, B. R.; Kee, K.; Dabscheck, E. J.; Naughton, M. T.
• Is Part Of: Internal medicine journal. Volume 43:Issue 6(2013)
• Page Start: 630
• Page End: 634
• Publication Date: 2013-06-09
• Subjects: Medicine -- Periodicals; 616
• DOI: 10.1111/imj.12108
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1444-0903

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="imj12108-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Background and Aims</title> <p>Depression and obstructive sleep apnoea are two common entities, with common symptoms that make identification of either condition difficult. Our aim was to examine, within a group of patients referred with snoring and obstructive sleep apnoea, (i) the prevalence of depression with the 14‐question Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), (ii) the correlation between the two lead depression symptoms from the Mini‐International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and HADS, and (iii) the relationship between depression symptoms with physiological markers of OSA.</p> </sec> <sec id="imj12108-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>An observational study of depression questionnaires in patients referred because of snoring to a sleep clinic within university‐affiliated public teaching hospital.</p> </sec> <sec id="imj12108-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Ninety‐seven per cent of 240 patients approached responded, and 32% had a positive HADS (score >16/42). The HADS and MINI significantly correlated (<italic>r</italic> = 0.736, <italic>P</italic> < 0.001). Fifty‐three per cent had either doctor‐diagnosed depression (28%) and/or a positive HADS or MINI (25%). HADS correlated with the degree of sleepiness (<italic>r</italic> = 0.252, <italic>P</italic> < 0.0001) and inversely with hypoxaemia (<italic>r</italic>=‐0.231, <italic>P</italic> < 0.0003) but not with the frequency of apnoeas and hypopnoeas (<italic>r</italic> = 0.116, <italic>P</italic> > 0.05).</p> </sec> <sec id="imj12108-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusion</title> <p>Depending on classification, 32–53% of patients with snoring had depressive symptoms or were on treatment, which is significantly greater than the Australian average of 21%. A simplified depression questionnaire was validated. Severity of depression correlated with sleepiness and hypoxaemia but not with severity of sleep apnoea.</p> </sec> </abstract>