Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Continuous management of chronic diseases and consideration of patients' psychosocial status during examination are basic principles of family medicine. In this study, the effect of 10 medical chronic diseases frequently encountered in family medicine on depression and anxiety and the degree of this effect were investigated quantitatively. METHOD: This study was conducted retrospectively on 2,161 adult patients selected by random sampling method in Kamiloba Family Health Center Istanbul. Data was obtained with records of diagnoses determined by specialist doctors of outpatient clinics according to their judgements. The investigated chronic diseases were essential hypertension (HT), Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), hyperlipidemia (HL), coronary artery disease (CAD), arthropathy, hypothyroidism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, osteoporosis (OP), peripheral vascular disease (PVD). SPSS 26 program, Shapiro-Wilk test, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson Chi-square test and Odds ratio (OR) were used in the analysis of data. RESULTS: 45.7% of 2,161 patients were male and 54.3% were female. The frequency of depression was 7.7%, the frequency of anxiety was 6.1%. The mean age was 59.66 in depression, 62.98 in anxiety and 50.71 in patients overall. The mean age of all chronic disease groups except CAD was in the 7(th) decade. Depression, anxiety and chronic diseases were all significantly associated with age. Depression (female/male = 2.3) and anxiety (f/m = 1.7) were more prevelant in women. OP (f/m = 6.2), hypothyroidism (f/m = 5.4) and asthma (f/m = 3.4) were significantly more prevelant in women. CAD (m/f = 2.4) and COPD (m/f = 1.7) were more prevelant in men. Medical chronic diseases encountered frequently in primary care significantly increased the risk of depression (OR = 1.7-3.1) and anxiety (OR = 2.1-3.8) and the coefficients were determined. HT was the medical chronic disease that has the highest effect on depression (OR = 3.1) and anxiety (OR = 3.8). COPD (OR = 3.8) and HL (OR = 3.6) had a significant relationship with anxiety. All medical chronic diseases except asthma increased the frequency of anxiety more than depression. CONCLUSION: Family physicians should be more careful in detecting depression and anxiety in patients with medical chronic diseases. The most risky age period for depression, anxiety and medical chronic diseases is the seventh decade. Medical chronic diseases encountered frequently in primary care significantly increase the risk of depression and anxiety. HT is the medical chronic disease that has the highest effect on depression and anxiety. COPD and HL have a significant relationship with anxiety. All medical chronic diseases except asthma increase the frequency of anxiety more than depression.