FREQUENCY OF DEPRESSION

DURING PEGYLATED INTERFERON THERAPY FOR CHRONIC HEPATITIS C

Abstract

Combine Pegylated interferon therapy and ribavirin is most commonly used
treatment in chronic hepatitis C patients. Along with other complications, different psychiatric
disorders are observed during combination therapy including depression. Depression is the
major morbidity as it may lead to different destructive ideation including suicide among patients
on treatment. We have tried to calculate the frequency of depression along with associated
factors in our present study. Objectives: To find out the frequency of depression during
Pegylated interferon therapy for chronic hepatitis C. Study Design: Descriptive study. Setting:
Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences, Jamshoro / Hyderabad Duration: The duration
of study was six months starting from 01-01-2014 to 31-06-2014. Methodology: Two hundred
and fifty two cases of chronic hepatitis C on the basis of anti HCV (ELISA) and PCR positive
were selected in this study. Results: Out of 252 patients, 111 (44%) were males and 141(56%)
were females. Most of the patients belonged to 26 to 50 years of age. The duration of treatment
was 12 weeks. Two hundred & eight (82.5%) patients had ever married while the remaining
17.5% were unmarried. Out of 106 (42%) depressed patients, 39 (37%) had mild, 31 (29%) had
moderate, 20 (19%) had moderately severe and 15 (15%) had severe depression. Conclusion:
It was observed that depression is a common during combination therapy with Peg interferon
and the ribavirin in chronic HCV patients.