Psychological status is associated with drug efficacy in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Background: Quality of life in patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is significantly associated with psychological disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Effective prevention and control of depression and anxiety in AS patients depend on important advances in our comprehensive understanding of its risk factors. However, whether psychological disorders in AS patients are related to drug efficacy is unclear. For this reason, the objective of this study was to explore the association between psychological status and drug efficacy in AS patients. Methods: A total of 3,147 AS patients were recruited from out-patient departments of 12 general hospitals in China. The level of anxiety disorder was evaluated with the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale was used to evaluate the level of depression. The association between psychological status and drug efficacy was analyzed for overall and different drugs. Results: The mean anxiety index was significantly (p<0.001) lower in AS patients in efficacy group (0.474 ± 0.004) than patients in inefficacy group (0.512 ± 0.005). The mean depression index was significantly (p<0.001) lower in AS patients in efficacy.