Biological PsychiatryOriginal Paper

Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders in Thyroid Diseased Patients
G.P.A. Placidi^a, M. Boldrini^a, A. Patronelli^a, E. Fiore^b, L. Chiovato^b, G. Perugi^a, D. Marazziti^a

Departments of
^a Psychiatry, Neurobiology, Pharmacology and Biotechnology, and
^b Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Italy

Address of Corresponding Author

Neuropsychobiology 1998;38:222-225 (DOI: 10.1159/000026545)

  Key Words

• Thyroid diseases
• Psychiatric comorbidity
• Semistructured clinical interview
• Anxiety disorders
• Mood disorders

  Abstract

Several studies have underlined the high prevalence of psychiatric symptoms and disorders in thyroid diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in 93 inpatients affected by different thyroid diseases during their lifetimes, by means of a standardized instrument, i.e., the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-III-Revised, Upjohn Version (SCID-UP-R). The results showed higher rates of panic disorder, simple phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder and cyclothymia in thyroid patients than in the general population. These findings would suggest that the co-occurrence of psychiatric and thyroid diseases may be the result of common biochemical abnormalities.

  Author Contacts

Donatella Marazziti, MD
Dipartimento di Psichiatria, Neurobiologia, Farmacologia e Biotecnologie
University of Pisa
Via Roma 67, I-56100 Pisa (Italy)
Tel. +39 50 835412, Fax +39 50 21581, E-Mail dmarazzi@psico.med.unipi.it

  Article Information

Number of Print Pages : 4
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 4, Number of References : 32