original article

Is there an association between symptoms of anxiety and depression and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? Verônica F Parreira PhD1,2,3, Renata N Kirkwood PhD4, Megan Towns MScPT2, Isabel Aganon MScPT2, Lauren Barrett MScPT2, Catherine Darling MScPT2, Michelle Lee MScPT2, Kylie Hill PhD2,5,6, Roger S Goldstein PhD2, Dina Brooks PhD2,3 VF Parreira, RN Kirkwood, M Towns, et al. Is there an association between symptoms of anxiety and depression and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? Can Respir J 2015;22(1):37-41. Background: In addition to symptoms, such as dyspnea and fatigue, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) also experience mood disturbances. Objective: To explore the relationships between health-related quality of life measures collected from patients with stable COPD and a commonly used measure of depression and anxiety. Methods: The present analysis was a retrospective study of patients with COPD enrolled in a pulmonary rehabilitation program. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire (CRQ), Medical Research Council dyspnea scale and 6 min walk test data were collected. Statistical analyses were performed using Spearman’s correlations, and categorical regression and categorical principal component analysis were interpreted using the biplot methodology. Results: HADS anxiety scores retrieved from 80 patients were grouped as ‘no anxiety’ (n=43 [54%]), ‘probable anxiety’ (n=21 [26%]) and ‘presence of anxiety’ (n=16 [20%]). HADS depression scores were similarly grouped. There was a moderate relationship between the anxiety subscale of the HADS and both the emotional function (r=−0.519; P