Relationship between illness perception, anxiety, depression and fatigue in HCV patients

Background: Many individuals with HCV suffer from fatigue and depression. The aim of this study is to investigate the link between illness perception, anxiety, depression and fatigue in these patients. Methods: 152 HCV patients (age: 58.7±13; M: 51.3%) were assessed by means of Brief-IPQ, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Fisk Fatigue Severity Score. Findings: 7.3% of the patients had critical scores for depression and 21.2% of patients had critical scores for anxiety. The depressed and the anxiety patients referred a significantly higher level of fatigue (85,4±37,7 vs. 33,12±28, p<.001; 66,5±39 vs. 29,2±24, p<.001). Dimensions of illness representation such as illness severity, symptom perception and emotional distress correlated with depression and anxiety scores as well as fatigue. Concern about illness correlated only with anxiety scores and fatigue. Discussion: The data implies a relation between illness perception, anxiety, depression and fatigue and thus supports a psychological explanations of fatigue in HCV patients.