Increased risk of depression after Guillain-Barré syndrome.

INTRODUCTION/AIMS: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a potentially life-threatening disorder, and some patients may develop subsequent depression related to traumatic stress or permanent loss of motor function. We determined the short-term (0-2 year) and long-term (> 2 year) risk of depression following GBS.

METHODS: Individual-level data from nationwide registries were linked in this population-based cohort study of all first-time hospital-diagnosed GBS patients in Denmark between 2005 and 2016 and individuals from the general population. After exclusion of individuals with prior depression, we computed cumulative rates of depression, defined as either antidepressant drug prescription or depression hospital diagnosis. We used Cox regression analyses to calculate adjusted depression hazard ratios (HRs) following GBS.

RESULTS: We identified 853 incident GBS patients and recruited 8,639 individuals from the general population. Depression within 2 years was observed in 21.3% (95% CI, 18.2-25.0%) of GBS patients and in 3.3% (95% CI, 2.9-3.7%) of general population members, resulting in a hazard ratio (HR) of 7.6 (95% CI, 6.2-9.3). The highest depression HR was observed within the first 3 months after GBS (HR, 20.5; 95% CI, 13.6-30.9). After the first two years, GBS patients and the general population members had similar long-term depression risks with a HR of 0.8 (95% CI, 0.6-1.2).

DISCUSSION: During the first 2 years after GBS hospital admission, patients with GBS have a 7.6-fold increased hazard of depression compared with individuals in the general population. Two years after GBS, the risk of depression is similar to the background population. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.