European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

PREVALENCE OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY IN LUMBAR DISC HERNIATION

Masoumeh Nazarinasab, Azim Motamedfar*, Sirus Pakseresht, Reza Bahrami and Atie Chapari

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Considering that mental disorders may follow or even cause back pain, the need for more serious attention and better therapy becomes obvious. The present study aimed at investigating the relationship between anxiety and depression and functional disability in patients with lumbar disc herniation. Material and Methods: this is a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study. Fifty patients (all above 20 years old) with lumbar disc herniation responded to four questionnaires. The first questionnaire acquired demographic information on age, gender, marital status and education. The second, third, and fourth questionnaires were the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and Roland-Morris’s Disability Questionnaire, all marked during interviews. Results: Results indicated significant, positive, linear relationships between depression and functional disability (r = .69, p = .0001), anxiety and functional disability (r = .83, p = .0001) and anxiety and depression (r = .637, p = .0001). Conclusions: The present study found a significant positive correlation between depression and anxiety and functional disability. In other words, depression increases the risk of anxiety and vice versa. The two can also raise the risk of functional disability in patients with disc herniation.

Keywords: Anxiety, Depression, Functional Disability, Lumbar Disc Herniation.