ASSESSMENT OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN NEUROLOGICAL DISORDER PATIENTS AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH QUALITY OF LIFE

Objectives: To assess the association between major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders and the quality of life of neurological disorder (brain tumour/brain disorder) patients. Methods: This study was conducted at Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Malaysia, a tertiary referral centre hospital for neurological disorder patients. The cross-sectional study design was applied. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire were used in the study. Results: A total of 100 neurological disorder patients were included in the study. The study found that the Major depressive disorder correlated with almost all domains of the quality of life, except the nausea and vomiting scores. Logistic regression showed that emotional functioning and pain were related to major depressive disorder. Different anxiety disorders also correlated with quality of life in specific domains. The leading anxiety disorders that associated mostly with quality of life scales were post traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder lifetime and current, panic disorder with agoraphobia, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder and with agoraphobia current and social phobia current (p < 0.05). Conclusions: There is a significant relationship between psychiatric disorders and quality of life neurological disorder patients. Therefore treatment along with psychiatric intervention should be implemented to improve the overall curability of the neurological disorder patients.