A Long Duration of Reflux Symptoms is the Predominant Risk Factor for Depression in Vietnamese Patients with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

PURPOSE: Depression is more prevalent in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) than in controls. The disorder can worsen the quality of life of GERD patients and is also associated with poor treatment response. However, there are limited data on its prevalence and risk factors in GERD patients in Southeast Asia. We aimed to assess the prevalence and severity of depression and its associated factors in Vietnamese patients with GERD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on GERD patients. GERD was defined as troublesome typical reflux symptoms at least twice a week or having endoscopic erosive reflux disease. The revised Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI-IA), which has been locally validated, was used to evaluate depression (BDI-IA < 10: none, 10–18: mild to moderate, 19–29: moderate to severe, and ≥ 30: severe depression). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent factors associated with depression. RESULTS: A total of 194 patients were recruited. The mean age was 44.1 ± 12.0 years, and the male-to-female ratio was 1:1.2. The depression rate was 47.9% (mild to moderate: 30.9%, moderate to severe: 16.0%, and severe: 1.0%). In multivariate analysis, sex and duration of reflux symptoms were the only two risk factors for depression. Compared to males, females were more likely to suffer from depression: odds ratio (OR) = 3.941 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.386–11.205), p = 0.010. Compared to patients with a duration of reflux symptoms < 1 year, those with a duration of 1–10 years and > 10 years were more likely to suffer from depression with a dose‒response: OR = 3.520 (95% CI, 1.057–11.717), p = 0.040; and OR = 5.605 (1.046–30.019), p = 0.044, respectively. CONCLUSION: Depression was prevalent, and a long duration of reflux symptoms was its predominant risk factor in Vietnamese patients with GERD.