PSYCHOLOGICAL AND EMOTIONAL EFFECTS OF ANTITUBERCULAR DRUGS IN PATIENTS WITH TUBERCULOSIS: PREVALENCE, RISK FACTORS, AND OUTPATIENT MANAGEMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55640/Keywords:
Tuberculosis; Antitubercular drugs; Mental health; Anxiety; Depression; Emotional disturbances; MDR-TB; Outpatient care; Psychosocial support; Treatment adherenceAbstract
Antitubercular therapy (ATT) is essential for the treatment of tuberculosis (TB); however, prolonged pharmacotherapy can induce psychological and emotional disturbances, affecting adherence, quality of life, and treatment outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, severity, and risk factors of mental-emotional disorders associated with antitubercular drugs in TB patients and to assess the effectiveness of outpatient psychological interventions. A total of 180 TB patients undergoing first-line or second-line ATT were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and clinical interviews. The results revealed that 92 patients (51.1%) exhibited moderate-to-severe emotional disturbances, including anxiety (42%) and depression (38%). MDR-TB, prolonged therapy duration, history of previous mental health disorders, and low social support were significant risk factors (p < 0.01). Outpatient psychological interventions, including counseling, stress management, and patient education, significantly improved emotional well-being and treatment adherence over a 12-week follow-up. These findings emphasize the importance of integrating mental health assessment and psychosocial support into TB treatment protocols to optimize clinical outcomes.References
1.Sweetland A.C., et al. Mental health and tuberculosis: the need for integrated care. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2014;18:3–10.
2.Pachi A., et al. Psychiatric morbidity and TB treatment adherence: A systematic review. PLoS One. 2013;8:e62208.
3.World Health Organization. Global Tuberculosis Report 2023. Geneva: WHO; 2023.
4.Gautam S., et al. Neuropsychiatric effects of antitubercular drugs in TB patients. BMC Psychiatry. 2021;21:567.
5.American Psychiatric Association. DSM-5: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 5th edition; 2013.
6.Karim F., et al. Psychological support improves adherence and mental well-being in TB patients. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis. 2021;25:610–618.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain the copyright of their manuscripts, and all Open Access articles are disseminated under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC-BY), which licenses unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is appropriately cited. The use of general descriptive names, trade names, trademarks, and so forth in this publication, even if not specifically identified, does not imply that these names are not protected by the relevant laws and regulations.
