Aim: To assess the association between depression and functional dyspepsia.
Patients and methods: Three hundred and forty eight dyspeptic patients were included in a cross-sectional study in the gastroenterology outpatient clinic of a University Hospital in southern Brazil (Pelotas, RS) within a 1-year period (from March, 2001 to March, 2002). The assessment of depression occurred after the diagnosis of dyspepsia. The presence (or not) of depression was verified in both functional and organic dyspeptic patients. In a second moment, the results were compared, an univariate analysis was used to describe the frequencies of the interest variables and a chi-square for the comparison between proportions of the categorical variables. The logistic regression technique was used to establish the odd of functional dyspeptic patients to present depression and to control the effect of other variables in the outcome variable
Results: Showed greater prevalence of depression among functional dyspepsia patients (30,4%), when compared to organic dyspepsia patients (11,2%). Women showed greater risk to present functional dyspepsia (OR: 1,74, IC 95%, 1,05-2,89) and in terms of age, the group with ages between 31 to 50 years (OR: 0,28 IC 95%, 0,13-0,54) and 51 to 60 years (OR: 0,41, IC 95%, 0,17-0,96) showed protection effect (subjects within this age groups have minor risk to present functional dyspepsia). After the multivariate analysis depressed patients showed three times greater comorbidity with functional dyspepsia when compared to non-depressed patients (OR 3, 13; IC 95%; 1, 71-5, 74).
Discussion: The adjustment for the gender, age and marital status variables confirmed the association between functional dyspepsia and depression. Results point the need to assess the presence of depression in functional dyspepsia patients and to establish specific treatment strategies for these patients.