Frequency of anemia in chronic psychiatry patients

anon79999497 · October 23, 2015, 2:43am

Purpose: Anemia could cause psychiatric symptoms such as cognitive function disorders and depression or could deteriorate an existing psychiatric condition when it is untreated. The objective of this study is to scrutinize the frequency of anemia in chronic psychiatric patients and the clinical and sociodemographic factors that could affect this frequency.
Methods: All inpatients in our clinic who satisfied the study criteria and received treatment between April 2014 and April 2015 were included in this cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic data for 378 patients included in the study and hemoglobin (Hb) and hematocrit values observed during their admission to the hospital were recorded in the forms. Male patients with an Hb level of <13 g/dL and nonpregnant female patients with an Hb level of <12 g/dL were considered as anemic.
Findings: Axis 1 diagnoses demonstrated that 172 patients had depressive disorder, 51 patients had bipolar disorder, 54 patients had psychotic disorder, 33 patients had conversion disorder, 19 patients had obsessive-compulsive disorder, 25 patients had generalized anxiety disorder, and 24 patients had other psychiatric conditions. It was also determined that 25.4% of the patients suffered from anemia. Thirty-five percent of females and 10% of males were considered as anemic. The frequency of anemia was the highest among psychotic disorder patients (35%), followed by generalized anxiety disorder patients (32%), and obsessive-compulsive disorder patients (26%). Anemia was diagnosed in 22% of depressive disorder patients, 25% of bipolar disorder patients, and 24% of conversion disorder patients.
Results: The prevalence of anemia among chronic psychiatry patients is more frequent than the general population. Thus, the study concluded that it would be beneficial to consider the physical symptoms and to conduct the required examinations to determine anemia among this patient group.

Keywords: anemia, hemoglobin, physical disease

Ninjastar · October 23, 2015, 3:45am

Interesting. I have thalassemia (a form of chronic anemia), and so do my brothers who have sz symptoms. My sister was the only one of the bunch who doesn’t. I would be interested in reading more on this.

anon79999497 · October 23, 2015, 3:56am

Unfortunately full article is behind a paywall .

anon79999497 · October 23, 2015, 4:02am

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Psychopathology in children from families with blood disorders: a cross-national study.

C Clemente, J Tsiantis, H Sadowski, C Lee, S Baharaki, G Ba, I Kolvin and B Taylor, European child & adolescent psychiatry, Aug 2002

This study examines the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in affected and in unaffected siblings from families with haemophilia or beta-thalassaemia.Based on data derived from a cross-sectional and multi-centre study into the resilience of 115 families with blood disorders. Sociodemographic and developmental data were collected from the parent using a standardised and semi-structured interview, and medical data were elicited from the attending clinician. The children's psychopathology was assessed with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS).Children with beta-thalassaemia were twice as likely to receive a diagnosis of psychiatric disorder and more likely to show a higher degree of impairment of general functioning than haemophilic boys or unaffected children from families with blood disorders. Clinical severity of haemophilia or beta-thalassaemia was not associated with significant differences in prevalence of child psychiatric disorders or impairment. Mothers' evaluation of their relationship with their child as 'less than easy' predicted psychopathology.The high prevalence of psychopathology in children with beta-thalassaemia reported in this study suggests that specific blood disorders have differential impact on affected children. This difference may be related to medical therapy advances in haemophilia so that haemophilic boys can lead an almost normal life.

notmoses · October 23, 2015, 4:11am

Eight percent females and four percent of males are the standard rates of anemia in the general population in the US.

Though this is only a matter of correlation (and not causation) at this point, it looks like we ought to be assessing and then appropriately treating for anemia with cheap iron supplements to see how that effects pts’ psychiatric presentations. (Oooo. Are the drug companies are gonna hate this?)

Ninjastar · October 23, 2015, 4:21am

Thanks. I can’t believe I literally never thought of this before!