Depression in Korean immigrants with hepatitis B and related liver diseases

The authors evaluated 50 Korean immigrants who had chronic viral hepatitis or who were healthy carriers for the hepatitis B virus in terms of the rela tionships between their depression scores, psychosocial stressors, social s upport; and biological markers of dysfunction. All participants completed a questionnaire, describing their worries and concerns, and the short form o f the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-sf). Hepatic transaminases, albumin le vels, and prothrombin times were measured during routine clinic follow-up v isits and were abstracted from the medical record. Values recorded within 3 months before and within 3 months after the psychiatric interview were cor related with BDI scores. BDI-sf total scores were significantly associated with transaminase elevations (P<0.001) both before and after BDI-sf adminis tration. BDI scores were not associated with other measures of liver dysfun ction or other medical causes of depression. Patients with higher BDI-sf to tal scores had more psychosocial stressors (P = 0.008) and lower Global Ass essment of Functioning (GAF) scores (P = 0.000).