AB0123 ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION DURING RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Background: Although the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been booming since the advent of biological treatments, the consequences of this disease remain multiple, both physical and psychological. Objectives: The aim of our work was to investigate the factors influencing anxiety and depression in RA. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 49 RA patients. We used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HAD) to assess anxiety disorders. Results: We included 24 women and 5 men with an average age of 54.1 years. Sixty-nine percent of patients were unemployed and 81% had health insurance coverage. RA had been evolving for an average of 11.43 ± 7.32 years and the mean time to diagnosis was 2.35 years. It was erosive in 93.8% of cases. An atlanto-axial dislocation was found in 4.1% of cases and coxitis in 8.2% of cases. Eighty-three percent of patients were on cs-DMARDs and 14.2% were on biotherapy. Most patients had low active disease (53%) with a mean DAS28CRP score of 2.74 ± 0.81. Twelve percent of patients had a probable anxiety and 18% had a probable depression. A long delay in diagnosis was associated with a higher risk of anxiety disorders. Working patients had a lower risk of depression while patients from rural areas had a higher risk. The risk of anxiety and depression disorders was associated with increased VAS pain, EGP, and DAS28. In the multivariate study, EGP was the independent risk factor for the development of anxiety and depression disorders. Conclusion: Anxiety and depression disorders are a frequent yet underestimated consequence in RA. Appropriate care in psychiatry is required as soon as the diagnosis is announced. Disclosure of Interests: None declared