Mental health status of inpatients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and its influencing factors

Objective To understand the mental health status of hospitalized patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and analyze its influencing factors.

Methods A total of 145 hospitalized patients with NAFLD and 145 their main caregivers were selected. General information questionnaire, 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Zarit Caregiver Burden Interview (ZBI) were used to investigate patients and their caregivers.

Results Among NAFLD patients, 71 patients (48.97%) had anxiety and 94 patients (64.83%) had depression. The results of univariate analysis showed that the differences in patient's education, medical payment method and primary caregiver's caregiver burden were statistically significant in patients with and without anxiety (P<0.05); the differences in patient's education, medical payment method, availability of work and primary caregiver's education, recreational activities and caregiver burden were statistically significant in patients with and without depression (P<0.05). Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that burden of caregivers was a risk factor for patients' anxiety (P<0.05); the risk factors for depression in NAFLD inpatients were the payment of medical expenses by the new rural cooperative medical system, unemployment, the low education level of the primary caregivers (primary and secondary school), and the burden of caregivers (P<0.05).

Conclusion NAFLD inpatients with poor mental health status and a high occurrence of anxiety and depression, and caregiver factors are also the main influencing factors.