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Objective: We aimed to assess the level of anxiety and depression, alexithymia and quality of life in patients with ankylosing spondylitis to compare with healthy individuals.
Introduction: Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inşammatory disease that affects sacroiliac joints in early period and axial skeleton in the late period. It usually manifests clinically in the 2nd or 3rd decades of life. The disease effects male gender two or three times more than female gender. The prevalence of ankylosing spondylitis in the world is approximately 0.9%. The quality of life is negatively affected by ankylosing spondylitis .
Method: One hundred and fifty seven patients diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis and 66 healthy subjects were involved from outpatient clinics of rheumatology or physical therapy and rehabilitation. BASDAI and BASFI scales were performed to each participant to assess the severity of the disease. Toronto Alexithymia Scale was used for the assessment of alexithymia. Beck depression and anxiety scales were performed to determine levels of anxiety and depression and Whoqol BREF was used to assess the quality of life.
Results: The mean age was 40.54±10.74 years. 59.2% of patients were male (n= 93), 50.9% (n= 80) were primary school graduates, 85.4% (n= 134) were married, 55.4% (n= 87) were employed, 61.1% (n= 96) were living in the city center and 24.8% (n= 39) were smokers. The mean total score of alexithymia was 57.54±10.51. Beck depression and anxiety scores were 13.76±11.33, 14.19±6.82, respectively. Beck depression and anxiety scores were also statistically significantly higher. In our study, alexithymia, depression, anxiety, BASFI and BASDAI showed a positive correlation.
Conclusion: Alexithymia scores in patients with ankylosing spondylitis were higher than the control group. Studies conducted on patients with SLE that reached to similar conclusions have been reported . Detection of alexithymia and psychiatric disorders in the early stages of the disease will increase compliance to treatment. Further studies are needed to assess the effects of psychiatric disorders on ankylosing spondylitis.