Assessment of depression, anxiety and predictors of mental health burden among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND

Depression and anxiety are prevalent comorbidities and a major concern for patients with tuberculosis. They are associated with low quality-of-life, poor treatment adherence and increased risk of mortality and morbidity.

AIM: To assess the prevalence of depression and anxiety and their predictors among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia.

METHODS

Between January and April 2025, we interviewed 360 patients aged ≥ 18 years, who were confirmed to have pulmonary tuberculosis and had been receiving treatment and follow-up for at least 2 weeks in 10 outpatient tuberculosis clinics in Tigray, Ethiopia. We used the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 for data collection, and used SPSS version 29 to analyse the data. Binary logistic regression model was used to identify the predictors of depression and anxiety.

RESULTS

P revalence of depression among the patients was 56.7% while prevalence of anxiety was 54.2%. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that smoking, alcohol consumption, adverse drug effects, and perceived stigma were significant risk factors for depression, while treatment support was a protective factor. Smoking, adverse drug effects, HIV/AIDS coinfection, and perceived stigma were significant risk factors for anxiety.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of depression and anxiety among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis in this study was significantly higher than in other studies. Therefore, there is a need to encourage tuberculosis patients with the identified risk factors to undergo screening for depression and anxiety and to incorporate psychological interventions into their treatment plan.