Prevalence of depression in group of hypothyroid patients and its relationship with the level of hypothyroidism.

Background and aims: To study the prevalence of depression among a sample of clinical and subclinical hypothyroid patients, in addition to the correlation between thyroid-stimulating hormone and depression severity. Study design: A cross-sectional study in Al Mouwasat University Hospital, Damascus, Syria. Materials and methods: A total of 114 patients diagnosed with hypothyroidism were evaluated by interview using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria. Results and conclusion: The prevalence of depression among patients with hypothyroidism (either clinical or subclinical) was 31.57%. Higher depression rates were observed in clinical hypothyroidism patients compared with subclinical hypothyroidism patients. In addition, depression severity was also higher in the clinical hypothyroidism group. Increased rate and severity of depression with increased TSH levels. However, the rate and severity of depression are inversely proportional to the duration of the diagnosis of hypothyroidism.