The mental health impact of primary Sjögren Syndrome among Italian women

Abstract

Background

This cross-sectional online survey aims to investigate the impact of Primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS) on mental health by measuring anxiety, depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) in the Italian context.

Methods

Participants diagnosed with pSS were recruited via the National Association of Sjögren's Syndrome Patients (A.N.I.Ma.S.S.), composed by members across Italy, and completed an online survey using the LimeSurvey platform. Data collected encompassed demographic, clinical information (e.g., age, gender, disease duration), diagnostic details (suspecting and diagnosing specialists), and mental health assessments (HADS for depressive and anxiety symptoms, SF-36 for HR-QoL). Descriptive analyses were conducted, including frequencies for binary variables, mean and standard deviations for interval-level variables, alongside correlation assessments between clinical scales.

Results

The study included 216 women with pSS who completed the survey (average age: 54 years). Mental health symptoms evaluated by the HADS subscales revealed a clinical level of anxiety in 50 % and depression in 41 % of the respondents Patients with pSS had a low score in all eight domains of the SF-36.

Limitations

The study has limitations, including its focus on female pSS patients due to limited male participants, potential biases in self-reported survey data, and the lack of certain demographic and clinical variables.

Conclusion

Our results emphasize the critical role of emotional distress in the progression of pSS, highlighting the need for its proper management. This insight contributes to the development of a rational therapeutic approach to pSS patients useful for all the healthcare professionals, pharmaceutical industry, and drug regulatory organizations.