The Prevalence of Depression Among Parkinson's Disease Patients in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Depression is thought to affect up to half of Parkinson's patients at some point during their illness, while anxiety is reported by about 40% of PD patients. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of depression and anxiety among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

The study involved Saudi Arabian citizens and residents aged 40 or older with PD, who completed internet-survey (including online and email-based data collection) or telephone-survey by trained interviewers. We used the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire for quality-of-Life assessment questionnaire (PDQ-39), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depression (PHQ-9), and General Anxiety Disorder-7 anxiety questionnaire (GAD-7).

RESULTS

The study included 46 participants, of whom 37% were aged 60-69 years, 67% were male, 46% had completed a university education, and 87% were married. Depression symptoms were present in 84.8% of participants, while 73.9% experienced anxiety. PD patients lacking social support were 8 times more likely to develop major depression [OR = 8.27, 95% CI (1.47-46.31), p = 0.016] and 5 times more likely to experience anxiety symptoms [OR = 5.36, 95% CI (1.14-25.26), p = 0.034]. Those unable to perform daily living activities or who faced stigma had a 16.5 times higher likelihood of anxiety symptoms [OR = 16.5, 95% CI (1.62-168.48), p = 0.018]. Furthermore, cognitive impairment increased the likelihood of anxiety by 11 times [OR = 11.43, 95% CI (1.83-71.42), p = 0.009].

CONCLUSION

The study reveals a high prevalence of depression and anxiety among Parkinson's disease patients, linked to physical impairments and social isolation. Many patients report no mental health improvement despite treatment, highlighting the need for routine mental health assessments, social support, and tailored interventions to enhance their quality of life. The small sample size may limit the statistical power, precision, and generalizability of the study's findings.