Study finds higher incidence of depression following idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis

A new study published in the journal of Respiratory Medicine showed that a lower cumulative start rate of anti-fibrotic medication and worse mortality were linked to depression that developed after an idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnosis, highlighting the need for early identification and treatment of mental health conditions in IPF patients.

The patients with chronic disease are 1.5-7 times more likely to experience depression than the general population. There is mounting evidence that people with chronic respiratory conditions, like IPF, are more likely to have depressed symptoms. In patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, comorbid depression has been associated with increased symptoms and a lower quality of life. Given that IPF is a chronic, progressive, and deadly lung illness for which there is currently no known cause or treatment, patient-centered outcomes, including the health-related quality of life (HRQOL), are important objectives in both clinical practice and research.

However, it is still unknown how often depression occurs in IPF and how it relates to death based on extensive epidemiological data. The National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan was used to examine the clinical importance of depression in individuals with IPF.

This research examined data from 31,386 IPF patients for this study. At the time of IPF diagnosis, the prevalence of depression was 6.7%, and 32.4 cases per 1,000 person-years was the annual incidence rate after diagnosis. There was no correlation between death and pre-existing depression (hazard ratio [HR] 0.978; 95% CI] 0.887–1.080).

On the other hand, the risk of death was considerably raised by depression that developed after an IPF diagnosis (HR 2.71; 95% CI 2.55–2.87). Depression that developed after receiving an IPF diagnosis was linked to a reduced cumulative start rate of anti-fibrotic medication, while pre-existing depression was not linked to this rate.

Overall, anti-fibrotic treatment initiation was less likely in patients with post-IPF depression. There was no effect of pre-existing depression on results. Improving patient outcomes requires including mental health care in comprehensive management regimens, especially considering the high prevalence of depression following an IPF diagnosis.

Soure:

Takuma, S., Hozumi, H., Miyashita, K., Inoue, Y., Yasui, H., Suzuki, Y., Karayama, M., Furuhashi, K., Enomoto, N., Fujisawa, T., Inui, N., & Suda, T. (2025). Depression and its association with mortality in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: A real-world data analysis. Respiratory Medicine, 108185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2025.108185