Objective: To investigate the frequency and severity of depression in patients with Hepatitis C in a tertiary care hospital.
Methodology: This descriptive cross sectional study conducted on 150 consecutive patients of Hepatitis C, attending liver clinic of Medical unit and who were admitted in the department of Psychiatry, Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi from November 6, 2016 to May 6, 2017. Both male and female patients aged between 15-70 years were included in the study.
Results: Out of 150 patients, 134(90.6%) had depression, of which 61.3% had mild depression, 29.3% had moderate depression but none had severe depression.
Conclusion: Although, the frequency of depression was significantly higher in patients with Hepatitis C but most of them were of mild to moderate severity. Early psychiatric evaluation might help to improve their psychological well-being.
Key words: Depression, hepatitis C, HAM-D, interferon
|
