High rate of depression in patients with chronic hepatitis C / Taxa elevada de depressão em pacientes com hepatite C crônica

Objectives: To describe the frequency of depression in patients with hepatitis C (HCV) and relate to the biological variables and liver function. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive study with a quantitative approach, which assessed depression using the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) and the association with biological and liver function variables in 85 patients HCV chronically infected indicated for direct-acting antiviral therapy (DAA) between May 2018 and May 2019. Results: Depression was detected in 47.1% of patients, predominantly mild depression (95%). However, depression occurred independently of biological characteristics, such as gender, age, education, associated comorbidities and liver function, such as degree of fibrosis and viral genotype. Conclusions: The frequency of depression was high in patients with HCV and had no statistical relationship with biological characteristics and liver function, suggesting that active search for depression could be a valuable strategy in managing these patients.