The Prevalence of Depression and Its Association with Self-Management Behaviors in Chronic Disease Patients

Abstract

Background: Co-morbid depression in patients with chronic disease is associated with weak self-care and high complications. Objective: The study aimed to determine the relationship of self-care behaviors and the kind of chronic disease with depression in adults with chronic disease in Isfahan, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in government healthcare centers. A total of 483 eligible consent respondents participated from March 2015 to June 2015. The “Stanford self-management questionnaire” and the patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) were used for the assessment of self-management behaviors and depression. Data were analyzed using the SPSS 17 software. Results: The prevalence of depression in participants was 14.7%. There was a significant relationship between self-management behaviors such as physical activity (P < 0.05) and medication adherence (P < 0.001), and depression. The risk of depression was greater in rheumatoid arthritis disease patients (OR = 4.41, 95% CI (0.47 - 5.38), P > 0.001) and skeletal disease patients (OR = 1.70, 95% CI (1.03 - 2.77), P < 0.05) than in other chronic disease patients. Conclusions: We found a negative association between depression and self-care activities in Iranian patients with chronic diseases. Psychological treatment for depression should be considered to improve the prognosis of chronic diseases.