Source
About the authors: Gülseren Keskin, PhD, is Associate Professor, Psychiatric Nursing Department, Ege University, Atatürk Medical Technology Vocational Training School, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey. Aysun Babacan Gümüs¸, PhD, is Associate Professor, Psychiatric Nursing Department, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, School of Health, Çanakkale, Turkey. Fatma Orgun, PhD, is Assistant Professor, Ege University Nursing High School, Bornova, Izmir, Turkey.
Abstract
This descriptive cross-sectional study was designed to determine the depression and anxiety levels, and their effects, on quality of life of patients with chronic Hepatitis B. Chronic infection with Hepatitis B virus has a profound effect on health-related quality of life. Medications, including interferon, that are commonly used to treat chronic viral Hepatitis B may cause depression as an adverse effect. However, little is known about the impact of depression and anxiety on quality of life in patients with Hepatitis B. A total of 96 patients aged between 15 and 61 years were included in the study. Slightly more than half of them (52%) were female. Three scales-the Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Scale, and Short Form of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF)-were used in the study. The scores obtained from the BDS in 91.7% of the patients were above the cutoff value of 17. Moreover, 80 patients received interferon. There was a negative correlation between the physical, environmental, and cultural areas on the Beck Anxiety Scale and WHOQOL-BREF (Turkish) (p< .05). A high level of depressive symptoms was established in this study, and the physical, environmental, and cultural aspects of quality of life were determined to increase as the anxiety level increased.