# Influence of Depression on the Quality of Life in Patients With Parkinson's Disease in Southwest Nigeria

## TL;DR

This study finds that depression strongly worsens the quality of life for Parkinson's disease patients in southwest Nigeria.

## Contribution

The study establishes a significant link between depression severity and quality of life in Parkinson's disease patients in a Nigerian population.

## Key findings

- 58.81% of Parkinson's disease patients had moderate to severe depression.
- 70.71% of patients reported poor to very poor quality of life.
- A strong association was found between depression severity and quality of life (P = 0.000).

## Abstract

Background

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that significantly impacts patients' quality of life (QoL). Depression is a common comorbidity in patients with PD, potentially exacerbating QoL deterioration. This study aimed to assess the influence of depression on QoL in patients with PD at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Nigeria.

Methodology

A cross-sectional, descriptive study design was utilized. The study included 420 patients with PD attending the Neurology Clinic at LAUTECH. A purposive sampling technique was employed to select participants. Data collection instruments included the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) for PD assessment, the Hoehn and Yahr scale for PD staging, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression evaluation, and the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39) for QoL assessment. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY), with descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-square test) to determine associations, considering a P-value < 0.05 as significant.

Results

Among the participants, the prevalence of moderate to severe depression was 245, representing 58.81%. QoL assessment revealed that 297 (70.71%) patients with PD reported poor to very poor overall QoL. A significant association was found between the degree of depression and overall QoL (P = 0.000). Patients with severe depression reported the poorest QoL, while those with minimal to no depression reported the highest QoL scores.

Conclusions

Depression significantly impacts the QoL in patients with PD at LAUTECH in southwest Nigeria. Addressing depression in PD management is crucial to improve patient outcomes.