Depressive symptoms in people with late effects of polio and the association with sociodemographic and disability-related factors.
Maria Nolvi, Christina Brogårdh, Lars Jacobsson and 1 others
PMID 41216862WHAT IT FOUND
In 81 people with late effects of polio, 43% scored in the range where depression should be suspected.
Being single, having more self-reported impairments, and lower perceived participation were associated with these high scores. Mobility alone was not.
Key findings
0143% of participants had a GDS-20 score of ≥6 points, indicating suspected depression.
02In multivariable analysis, disability-related factors (self-reported impairments and perceived participation) explained more of the variance in suspected depression than sociodemographic factors.
03Being single was significantly associated with suspected depression in both univariable and multivariable models.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The cross-sectional design prevents causal conclusions; it is unclear if depression leads to lower participation or vice versa. The sample size was relatively small (n=81). Depression was screened using a self-report tool (GDS-20), not diagnosed clinically. Some GDS items (pain, energy) overlap with LEoP symptoms, potentially inflating scores. Use of mobility aids was not included in the regression models due to sample size constraints.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Stiftelsen för Bistånd åt Rörelsehindrade i Skåne, Norrbacka Eugenia Stiftelsen, and Skåne Regional Council. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the 43% prevalence as a confirmed diagnosis of depression. The GDS-20 is a screening tool, and the authors note that symptoms like pain and lack of energy overlap with late effects of polio, which may inflate scores. A positive screen requires clinical confirmation.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →