Background/Aim: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by joint inflammation, enthesitis, and skin psoriasis. Beyond its physical manifestations, PsA significantly affects mental health, with depression being a common comorbidity. Depression may further increase disease burden and reduce quality of life, highlighting the importance of its recognition. This study aimed to determine the frequency of depression among patients with PsA and evaluate its associations with sociodemographic, clinical, and disease-related characteristics.
Methods: This cross-sectional, single-center study was conducted at the Rheumatology Unit of Baghdad Teaching Hospital from January to July 2024 and involved 100 consecutive patients fulfilling the CASPAR criteria. Data collection included sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and confirmed according to DSM-5 criteria.
Results: Depression was present in 29% of patients with PsA. Of these, 34.5% had mild, 51.7% moderate, and 13.8% severe depression. In univariable analysis, depression was significantly associated with younger age (21–35 years; p = 0.003), unmarried status (p = 0.001), and higher BASDAI scores in the axial PsA subgroup (p = 0.045). No significant associations were found with DAPSA scores (p = 0.082), smoking status, sex, BMI, employment status, education level, PsA type, disease duration, or comorbidities (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: Depression was common among patients with PsA. Cross-sectional associations were observed with younger age and unmarried status, and with higher BASDAI scores in the axial subgroup. However, causality cannot be inferred. These findings underscore the need for routine mental health screening and integrated care in PsA management.