EPA-1259 – Stressful life events history and mental disorders in behcet's disease

Abstract

Introduction:

Behcet's disease (BD) is a heterogeneous, multisystemic, recurrent, inflammatory disorder with a chronic course and an unknown cause. Mental disorders (MD) occur quite often with BD. The influence of childhood experience, relations traumatic events with BD and MD, specificity of MD still have not investigated carefully.

Methods:

55 BD patients (44 male and 11 female mean age 33,1±10,1) were included. ICD-10 criteria were used for MD diagnostic. Severity levels of stress, anxiety, depression found by PSS, HAM-A, MADRS.

Results:

Early traumatic childhood experiences observed in 29(52,7%) patients. Among this patients BD started before 18 years in 13(44,8%) cases whereas in patients without early traumatic childhood experiences in 7(26,3%). The severe stress factors were preceded first BD symptoms in 12(21,8%) cases, prolonged low-intensity stressors in 24(43,6%). Most patients 45(81,8%) self-reported connection between stressful life events and exacerbation of BD. MD were diagnosed in 47(86%) BD patients: dysthymia 19(34,5%), recurrent depressive disorder − 14 (25,4%), depressive episode (mild, moderate) − 8 (14,5%), generalized anxiety disorder − 4 (7,3%), adjustment disorder − 2 (3,6%). MD preceded BD in 20% cases. Depression scores showed a clinically normal level in 13 BD patients (23,6%), mild level in 34 (61,8%), and moderate level in 8 (14,5%). Mean severity levels of anxiety, stress were 14,3±5,4 and 16,1±5,9 accordingly.

Conclusions:

The received data show, that individual history of stressful life events is important for the beginning of the rheumatic disease and MD in BD patients. Depression and anxiety spectrum disorders are the most common MD in BD patients.