A study of psychiatric symptoms in thyrotoxic Nigerians

Abstract

Psychiatric symptoms suggesting panic, affective, and even schizophrenic disorders have been described in thyrotoxic patients. However, this has not been previously described among Nigerians. We have therefore conducted a cross-sectional study of psychiatric symptoms among thyrotoxic Nigerians. The self-rated General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were administered on 8 previously untreated newly diagnosed thyrotoxic. Eight age and sex-matched diabetics and 8 apparently healthy controls were also recruited as controls. 1 subject was a male while 7 were females. Their ages ranged from 29 to 60 years, mean 44.5 ± 11.4 years. Graves' disease was the cause of thyrotoxicosis in 7 subjects while the other had toxic multinodular goiter. Symptoms of thyroid disease had been present in them for a mean of 9.1 ± 6.8 months. Based on GHQ-30 scores, 4 thyrotoxic, 4 diabetics and 2 healthy controls had significant psychiatric symptoms. The HADS identified symptoms of anxiety in 3 thyrotoxic, no diabetic and 2 healthy controls. Symptoms of depression was however present in 2 thyrotoxic, 1 diabetic and no healthy control. The mean GHQ-30, Anxiety and Depression scores were comparable across all subject groups: P = 0.489, 0.277, and 0.125 (ANOVA), respectively. None of the psychiatric symptom ratings significantly correlated with serum T3 levels. Our result does not show prominence of psychiatric symptoms in our thyrotoxic patients. Further, larger studies are required to validate this finding.