Prevalence of restless legs symptoms according to depressive symptoms and depression type: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Restless legs syndrome is a sensorimotor disorder and it is associated with several other diseases especially mental illnesses.

Aims: To analyze the relationship between the symptoms of restless legs syndrome and the severity of depressive symptoms and the prevalence of restless legs symptoms in depression subtypes.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of primary care patients in the Central Finland Hospital District. The prevalence of restless legs symptoms was studied in 706 patients with increased depressive symptoms and 426 controls without a psychiatric diagnosis by using a structured questionnaire. The depressive symptoms were evaluated with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the psychiatric diagnosis was confirmed by means of a diagnostic interview (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview). The subjects with increased depressive symptoms were divided into three groups (subjects with depressive symptoms without a depression diagnosis, melancholic depression and non-melancholic depression).

Results: In the whole study population, the prevalence of restless legs symptoms increased with the severity of depressive symptoms. The prevalence of restless legs symptoms was highest in the melancholic and non-melancholic depressive patients (52 and 46%, respectively) and then in subjects with depressive symptoms without a depression diagnosis (43.4%), but the prevalence was also substantial (24.6%) in subjects without a psychiatric diagnosis.

Conclusions: Restless legs symptoms are very common in primary care among subjects with depression, regardless of the depression type. The prevalence of restless legs symptoms increased with increasing severity of depressive symptoms, regardless of the diagnosis. These findings should be considered in clinical evaluation and treatment of patients visiting their physician due to restless legs or depressive symptoms.

Keywords:

• Restless legs syndrome
• depressive disorder
• melancholia
• depression
• primary health care

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the following nurse case managers who took part in the practical implementation of the FDMSA: Mari Alanko, Harri Back, Timo Hannula, Anu Holopainen, Ritva Häkkinen, Katja Johansson, Eija Kinnunen, Kaija Luoma, Hannele Niemi, Hillevi Peura, Inga Pöntiö, Kirsi Rouvinen, Tiina Silvennoinen and Marianne Vihtamäki, as well as FDMSA study nurses Anne Kirmanen, Reetta Oksanen and Olli Niemi, and Pia Jauhiainen, the scientific secretary of the study.

Ethical approval

The study protocol was approved on the 17th of April 2007 by the Ethics Committee of Central Finland Central Hospital.

Disclosure statement

The authors have declared no competing interests.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Central Finland Hospital District, the Northern Savo Hospital District and Central Finland Health Care District.