Publication:

Unmasking the hidden struggle: anxiety and depression in recovery of osteoarthritis knee

Background A gradual degenerative condition that severely impairs mobility and quality of life is knee osteoarthritis (KOA). It has been hypothesized that mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, play a role in how OA symptoms are perceived and developed. The degree of the association is still undetermined, though.

Methods The study comprised one hundred individuals with KOA as defined by the EULAR classification. Age, gender and BMI were noted. With an emphasis on gender-based differences, this study compared the WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) scores of patients with osteoarthritis in the knee with mental health measures, specifically the PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) for depression and the GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) for anxiety.

Results The study population's BMI was 27.19±4.31 kg/m² and their mean age was 56.34±8.81 years. Overall, the correlation between PHQ-9 and WOMAC was small (R=-0.026, p value=0.79), with males exhibiting a poor correlation (R=0.043, p value=0.80) and females exhibiting a moderate but non-significant positive correlation (R=0.374, p value=0.33). Overall, there was no significant correlation between GAD-7 and WOMAC (R=-0.13, p value 0.20), with a weak positive correlation in females (R=0.075, p value=0.55) and an insignificant correlation in men (R=-0.16, p value=0.35).

Conclusions While mental health factors like depression may influence OA severity in females, this study found no significant relationship between anxiety levels and WOMAC scores.