July 23, 20107:50 am
posted by Aric Thorpe, MHR
Men with hemophilia have significantly higher rates of depression
Depression among men with hemophilia is significantly higher than general populations. According to Alison Stopeck, MD, Director of the Arizona Hemophilia Treatment Center, in Tucson, 37% of men treated at her facility between September 2008 and April 2010 were diagnosed with a history of depression compared to 4% of men in the general population. This rate is similar to rates of depression among people who suffer other chronic diseases, approximately 33%. Among patients with hemophilia, 20% were diagnosed with mild depression, 11% with moderate depression, and 5% with severe depression. Stopeck explained during her poster presentation at the Hemophilia 2010 World Congress, “The biggest risk factors for depression among men with hemophilia appear to be the absence of social support and/or lack of employment.” About 11% of patients in the study that mentioned a lack of social support were diagnosed with depression. Click here to read an article from Medpage Today that discusses this study more.
