Prevalence of depression among amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) people have a high risk of severe mental disorders, like depression, which impacts their function, quality of life, and mobility. However, there are no estimates of depression based paper published. This study aimed conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of depression in ALS patients around the world. METHODS: PubMed/Medline, Web of science, Scopus, Embase, and Ovid are searched to identify papers that reporting the prevalence of depression. Studies are included in random-effects meta-analyses of the prevalence of depression. Subgroup analyses are performed on the severity of depression, instruments of depression, type of studies, and study regions. RESULTS: 46 eligible studies reported prevalence of depression. The pooled prevalence of depression among ALS people was 34% (27%-41%). According to the severity of depression, mild, moderate, and severe depression were 29%, 16%, and 8%, respectively. For studies using BDI, PHQ, and HADS, the pooled prevalence of depression was 50%, 20%, and 15%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: ALS people have a high prevalence of depression. The high prevalence of depression causes a reduction of quality of life and mobility. The study identifies a population group at high risk needing special attention in clinical practice.

Prevalence of depression in older people with hip fracture: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Hip fracture disrupts general health and is one of the most common physical injuries in the elderly. Depression is the most common mood disorder in older people and one of the main complications of hip fractures. AIM AND METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of depression in older people with hip fractures. Relevant literature published until July 2019 was obtained and screened according to established inclusion criteria. Two researchers independently carried out quality assessment and data extraction before the meta-analysis. We calculated proportions with 95% confidence intervals (CI). To investigate the sources of heterogeneity, we performed subgroup analyses based on study design, follow-up duration, type of fracture, and gender. RESULTS: Twenty-seven studies with a combined sample size of 11958 were included. The overall prevalence of depression in older people with hip fracture was 23% (95% CI: 0.18 to 0.29). The lowest and highest prevalence of depression was in Asia (0.19) and America (0.27) respectively. CONCLUSION: In this systematic review and meta-analysis the estimated prevalence of depression among older hip fracture patients was 23%. Further research is needed to identify strategies for preventing and treating mood disorders in this population.