Anxiety Symptoms Among Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Persist Over Time and Are Independent of SLE Disease Activity

Patient-Reported Social Risk Factor Screening Among Rheumatology Outpatients

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to pilot test a patient-reported social risk factor (SRF) screening tool among rheumatology outpatients and to examine the distribution of SRFs in this population.

METHODS

A SRF screening tool was completed electronically by patients. Patients were screened for four core SRF domains (financial strain, housing instability, food insecurity, and transportation needs) and four supplemental SRF domains (physical inactivity, social isolation, stress, and depression). Data from the electronic health record were extracted for patients with at least one domain screened who were seen by participating rheumatology providers between January 1 and October 31, 2023. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine trends and associations of SRFs in this population.

RESULTS

The sample included 483 patients, and 84% of patients screened positive for at least one SRF. Physical inactivity (73%, 311 of 429) and social isolation (58%, 212 of 367) were the most common SRFs. Prevalence of core SRF domains was 35% for financial strain (145 of 412), 22% for housing instability (82 of 370), 23% for food insecurity (96 of 420), and 11% for transportation needs (48 of 427). Sociodemographic groups with higher prevalence of SRFs included patients reporting Medicaid insurance, younger age, Black race, or unmarried status. Multivariate analyses showed that Medicaid insurance increased odds of reporting SRFs in all core domains.

CONCLUSION

Our SRF screening identified a high burden of SRFs among rheumatology outpatients, giving a new level of detail into patients' barriers and possible needs. Future work will uncover associations between SRFs and clinical outcomes and evaluate the impact of interventions to address SRFs.

Mental health conditions in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

The reported prevalence of mental health conditions (MHCs) in people with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) ranges widely. Whether MHCs are associated with increased risk of SLE or the outcomes of the disease is unclear. This study aimed to conduct an umbrella and updated meta-analysis of MHCs in people with SLE and to identify whether MHCs are associated with the risk of SLE or patient outcomes.

METHODS

We comprehensively searched PubMed, Web of Science and Embase databases to identify relevant studies published before June 2023. Random-effect models were used to calculate the pooled prevalence and risk ratios (RR) for each MHC.

RESULTS

In total, 203 studies with 1 485 094 individuals were included. The most MHCs observed in patients with SLE were sleep disturbance (59.7% [95% CI, 52.4-66.8%]) among adults and cognitive dysfunction (63.4% [95% CI, 46.9-77.9%]) among children. We found that depressive disorders (RR = 2.30, 95% CI = 1.94-2.75) and posttraumatic stress disorder (RR = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.61-2.31) in the general population were significantly associated with an increased likelihood of developing SLE. Furthermore, concurrent MHCs were linked to unfavourable outcomes in patients with SLE, such as decreased quality of life, increased risk of unemployment and other somatic comorbidities.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated a high prevalence of MHCs among patients with SLE. Individuals with pre-existing mental disorders exhibited an elevated susceptibility to developing SLE and patients presenting with MHCs were at increased risk of experiencing suboptimal health and functional outcomes. Therefore, evaluating and preventing MHCs should be considered as an integral component of the comprehensive treatment strategy for SLE.

Persistence of Depression and Anxiety despite Short-Term Disease Activity Improvement in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Single-Centre, Prospective Study

Mental disorders such as anxiety and depression are prevalent in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, yet their association with the underlying disease activity remains uncertain and has been mostly evaluated at a cross-sectional level. To examine longitudinal trends in anxiety, depression, and lupus activity, a prospective observational study was performed on 40 adult SLE outpatients with active disease (SLE Disease Activity Index [SLEDAI]-2K ≥ 3 [excluding serology]) who received standard-of-care. Anxiety and depression were determined at baseline and 6 months by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Treatment adherence was assessed with the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-4. Increased anxiety (median [interquartile range] HADS-A: 11.0 [7.8]) and depression (HADS-D: 8.0 [4.8]) were found at inclusion, which remained stable and non-improving during follow-up (difference: 0.0 [4.8] and −0.5 [4.0], respectively) despite reduced SLEDAI-2K by 2.0 (4.0) (p < 0.001). Among possible baseline predictors, paid employment—but not disease activity—correlated with reduced HADS-A and HADS-D with corresponding standardized beta-coefficients of −0.35 (p = 0.017) and −0.27 (p = 0.093). Higher anxiety and depression correlated with lower treatment adherence (p = 0.041 and p = 0.088, respectively). These results indicate a high-mental disease burden in active SLE that persists despite disease control and emphasize the need to consider socioeconomic factors as part of comprehensive patient assessment.