Incidence of major depressive disorder over time in patients with liver cirrhosis: A nationwide population-based study in Korea

by Gi Hyeon Seo, Jeong-Ju Yoo

There is yet to be a large-scale longitudinal study on the course of depression incidence within the duration of cirrhosis. The aim of this study is to analyze the incidence of depression from before to after diagnosis of cirrhosis over time. Incidence Rate (IR) was defined as the number of newly diagnosed patients with MDD divided by the sum of observation periods by using claims database in Korea. Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) was defined as the IR in the specific interest period divided by the IR in the control period. The control period was defied as 1 to 2 years before diagnosis of cirrhosis. The IRs before and after cirrhosis diagnosis were 3.56 and 7.54 per 100 person-year, respectively. The IRR was 2.12 (95% confidence Interval: 2.06–2.18). The IRR of developing depression mildly increased before diagnosis of cirrhosis (-360 days to -181 days, IRR 1.14, p < 0.001; -180 days to -90 days, IRR 1.24, p < 0.001; -90 days to -31 days, IRR 1.56, p < 0.001) and rapidly increased immediately after diagnosis of cirrhosis (+30 days to +89 days, IRR 2.12, 95% confidence interval: 2.06–2.18, p < 0.001). The pattern of increasing depression immediately after the diagnosis of cirrhosis was observed equally in all sexes and ages. Thus, clinicians must pay close attention to screening for depression within the first three months of liver cirrhosis diagnosis.