Frecuencia de depresión y su relación con la capacidad funcional en pacientes con artritis reumatoide atendidos en el Hospital José Carrasco Arteaga de la ciudad de Cuenca, periodo: enero – mayo 2024

Abstract

Introduction: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease present globally with a prevalence of 0.5-1%, it is directly and indirectly related to countless pathologies. Depression is the most common mental health disorder associated with rheumatoid arthritis, being twice as frequent in this group of patients than in the general population. The patient's functional capacity is affected by the chronic degenerative polyarticular involvement of the disease in close relationship with depression, causing the loss of the individual's physical function with limitations in the personal and work environment. Objectives: To determine the frequency of depression and its relationship with functional capacity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated at the José Carrasco Arteaga Hospital in the city of Cuenca, period: January-May 2024. Methods: Observational analytical cross-sectional study, using a sample of 185 patients. The Health Assessment Questionnaire was used to assess functional capacity and the Patient Health Questionnaire to assess depression. Results: According to the results of the PHQ-9, 15.5% of patients presented severe depression, and 22.2% presented a mild degree of depression. Regarding the HAQ, 48.45% presented moderate disability, while 10.82% presented severe disability. There is a high and positive relationship between the variables studied (r = 0.69).