1208 – Patients Receiving Corticosteroid Therapy: The Adherence To Treatment And Effect On Mood And Psychology

Abstract

Materials and methods

This descriptive study was held in the department of Internal Medicine in Hedi Chaker Hospital, (Sfax-Tunisia), during 04 months (From July to October 2012). We have included 50 patients, having corticosteroids with a dose equal or greater than 10 mg of prednisone per day for a period exceeding one month. We used in this study, the HAD scale for anxiety-depression, the SF-36 to investigate the quality of life of these patients, the ANGST score of hypomania and the Morisky score to investigate the adherence to treatments (Corticosteroids).

Results

The average age was 43.43 + / -16.11 years. The age of discovery of the disease was 38.24 + / -14.28 years. An average score of anxiety was 10.6 + / -3.89. The mean score of depression was 8.75 + / -4.035. An average score of hypomania was 8.43 + / -4.025. We noted that 53.7% of patients belong to level 3 of anxiety, and 40.56% have some level depression by the HAD score.

Psychiatric complications were noted in 58.5% of patient with a major depressive state in 12.2%. Patients reported sleep disturbances in 24% with behavioral problems in 9.6% of cases.

The average score of SF36 was 56.55 + / -15.21, and 74% of patients had distorted quality of life, mainly affecting health psychic (92.54%), limitation due to mental state (95.75%).

Conclusion

Our results suggest the interest of a psychiatric examination before the introduction of corticosteroids, in order to detect patients requiring special supervision.