Prevalence and characteristics of Thyroid dysfunction in patients with Depressive Disorders presenting to Tertiary care center- A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Thyroid dysfunctions, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, can lead to mood disorders like depression and mania. Conversely, depressive disorders are associated with subtle variations in thyroid hormone levels. Objectives: The objective of the study was to examine the prevalence and characteristics of thyroid dysfunction in patients with Depressive disorders. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients diagnosed with depressive disorders who presented to outpatient and inpatient setting in the psychiatry department. Consecutive sampling method was used till the calculated sample size of 82 patients was reached. Diagnosis of depressive disorder was done as per the International Classification of Diseases, 10^th revision (ICD-10). Hamilton depression rating scale (HAM-D) was administered to assess the severity of depressive symptoms. Thyroid Dysfunction was diagnosed based on the morning (8 AM) serum levels of T3, T4 and TSH levels. Data analysis was done using statistical package for the social sciences (version 24), and results were presented as mean and percentages. Results: Among 82 patients with depression, the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction was 15% (12), and subclinical hypothyroidism was the most common type with prevalence of 11% (9), followed by hypothyroidism. There was no significant association between the severity of depressive episode and the type of thyroid dysfunction (x²-14.208, df-9, p-.115). Conclusion: Prevalence of thyroid dysfunction is higher in depressive disorders. Regular monitoring of Thyroid functions tests should be considered during follow up to prevent relapse of symptoms.