PREVALENCE OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS IN PATIENTS WITH HYPOTHYROIDISM

*Asha Mathew

ABSTRACT

Thyroid hormone has salient role in normal body functioning. The inconsistent grade of psychiatric symptoms/disorders is common in patients with thyroid dysfunction that is in both the case of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. The dysfunction in thyroid hormones are mostly recognized to cause significant manifestation in mental health, creates mood abnormalities and lead to disturbances in emotions and cognition. Hypothyroidism is a clinical ailment characterised by the insufficiency in thyroid hormones and it have a close association with psychiatric illness. Predominant symptoms in patients with hypothyroidism are forgetfulness, mental slowness, emotional lability and fatigue. The brain influenced to use thyroid hormones very differently when comparing to other organs in the body and is also essential for the development of central nervous system and maintenance of haemostasis. The most common affective disorders seen in hypothyroid patient was depression and anxiety. The patients with hypothyroidism are mostly misdiagnosed of primary psychiatric illness due to the presenting symptoms. This review briefly focuses on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in patients with hypothyroidism.

Keywords: Psychiatric disorders, Hypothyroidism, Thyroid axis, Depression.