Correlations Between Anxiety and/or Depression Diagnoses and Dysphagia Severity.

TitleCorrelations Between Anxiety and/or Depression Diagnoses and Dysphagia Severity.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2024
AuthorsDoruk C, Mocchetti V, Rives H, Christos P, Rameau A
JournalLaryngoscope
Volume134
Issue5
Pagination2115-2120
Date Published2024 May
ISSN1531-4995
KeywordsAnxiety, Anxiety Disorders, Deglutition, Deglutition Disorders, Depression, Humans, Retrospective Studies
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: An increased prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders in patients with dysphagia has been noted previously, but whether dysphagia severity may be exacerbated by anxiety and depression has never been studied before. The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of pre-existing diagnosis of anxiety and/or depression (anxiety/depression) on the Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10), a validated patient-reported outcome measure for dysphagia. We hypothesized that patients with dysphagia and normal instrumental evaluation have higher EAT-10 score in the presence of pre-existing anxiety and depression.

METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted of patients seen at the multi-disciplinary dysphagia clinic of an urban academic institution. EAT-10 scores and pre-existing diagnoses of anxiety/depression were collected at the first visit with laryngologists. The two-sample t-test was used to compare mean EAT-10 scores between the anxiety/depression and no anxiety/depression groups, stratified by swallowing dysfunction etiology.

RESULTS: The study included 290 consecutive patients seen starting in January 2018. In this cohort, 60 (21%) had pre-existing anxiety, 49 (17%) depression, and 36 (12%) both. Overall, 59 patients had normal swallowing based on instrumental swallowing testing (flexible endoscopic evaluation of swallowing, videofluoroscopic swallow study, esophagram, or esophagoscopy). Among those, mean EAT-10 score was significantly higher in patients with anxiety and/or depression (n = 30) (14.63, SD = 11.42) compared to those with no anxiety and/or depression (n = 29) (8.93, SD = 6.59) (p = 0.023).

CONCLUSION: While anxiety/depression may aggravate dysphagia in patients with normal swallowing function, this correlation may not hold in those with objective swallowing dysfunction.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 Laryngoscope, 134:2115-2120, 2024.

DOI10.1002/lary.31164
Alternate JournalLaryngoscope
PubMed ID37942834
PubMed Central IDPMC11006580
Grant ListK76 AG079040 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
OT2 OD032720 / OD / NIH HHS / United States
OT2 OD032720 / CD / ODCDC CDC HHS / United States