Factors associated with anxiety, depression and suicide ideation in female outpatients with SLE in Japan

The subjects consisted of 84 female SLE outpatients who were all over 20 years of age. These patients were able to maintain relatively stable physical conditions and lead normal daily lives, and they were regularly treated at the outpatient clinic. All subjects were Japanese. Psychological features (trait anxiety, state anxiety, depression and suicide ideation) were evaluated using psychological tests, and the relationships between the respective psychological features and background factors were statistically evaluated using stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses. In this study, we found that 'the self-evaluation of not having understood SLE at the time of starting SLE treatment' was the background factor significantly affecting depression or trait anxiety. 'No spouse' had a statistically significant effect on depression, and 'self-awareness as problems of side-effects due to steroids' had a statistically significant effect on state anxiety. We also found 'human relations among family members' and 'high daily steroid dosage' to be significantly correlated with suicide ideation. However, there were no correlations between the psychological features and 'disease activity at the time of investigation' or 'history of neuropsychiatric diseases'. In female SLE outpatients, performing psychological approaches focusing on 'understanding SLE at the beginning of treatment', 'the human relationships among family members', or 'issues related to steroid therapy' may be useful for the early treatment or prevention of various major mental problems.