Quality of life in dysphagia and anxiety and depression symptoms pre and post-thyroidectomy.
Gabriel Trevizani Depolli, Gustavo Batista de Oliveira, Thais Jejesky de Oliveira and 4 others
PMID 37556687WHAT IT FOUND
Patients undergoing thyroidectomy reported improved swallowing-related quality of life and reduced anxiety and depression scores three months after surgery.
However, no correlation was found between dysphagia severity and emotional symptoms, suggesting these issues may need separate clinical monitoring.
Key findings
01Swallowing-related quality of life scores (MDADI physical and total domains) significantly improved at three months compared to preoperative and recent postoperative periods.
02Anxiety and depression scores (HADS) significantly decreased from the preoperative period to the recent postoperative period and remained lower at three months.
03There was no statistically significant correlation between swallowing quality of life scores and anxiety or depression scores at any time point.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small (n=20) and selected for convenience, which limits the generalizability of the findings. The study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the suspension of outpatient care and may have affected patient follow-up and contact. The study did not collect data on psychiatric diagnoses, use of anxiolytic medication, or specific reasons for thyroidectomy, which could influence anxiety and depression scores. The lack of correlation between dysphagia and emotional symptoms may be due to the small sample size rather than a true absence of relationship.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that treating swallowing difficulties will automatically alleviate anxiety or depression in these patients. The study found no correlation between the two, meaning emotional symptoms may persist or fluctuate independently of swallowing function and require separate psychological assessment.