Kang Min-Sung, Lee Mee-Ri, Hwangbo Young
Asbestos Environmental Health Center, Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Soonchunhyang 6-gil 31, Dongnam-gu, Cheonan 31151, Republic of Korea.
Division of Medical Science, Soonchunhyang University, 22, Soonchunhyang-ro, Sinchang-myeon, Asan 31538, Republic of Korea.
Toxics. 2025 Aug 21;13(8):703. doi: 10.3390/toxics13080703.
Asbestos-related diseases (ARDs), including malignant mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, and asbestosis, are known for their long latency periods and poor prognoses. Although the physical effects of ARDs have been widely studied, limited research has examined the psychological burden faced by affected individuals. This study investigated depressive and anxiety symptoms among 275 patients officially recognized as asbestos victims in Korea. Mental health was assessed using the Korean version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The analysis revealed that the mean ± standard deviation of depression and anxiety levels among patients with asbestos-related diseases were 8.06 ± 6.27 for PHQ-9, 6.02 ± 5.64 for GAD-7, 7.09 ± 5.44 for HADS-A, and 8.41 ± 5.47 for HADS-D. Patients with asbestosis had higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms than those with malignant mesothelioma or lung cancer, with symptom severity increasing alongside asbestosis grade. When compared with national data from the 2020-2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores among ARD patients, particularly those with Grade 1 asbestosis, were higher than the scores reported for all major cancer types. These findings highlight the substantial psychological distress experienced by individuals with ARDs and emphasize the urgent need for targeted mental health interventions in this population.
石棉相关疾病（ARDs），包括恶性间皮瘤、石棉相关肺癌和石棉肺，以其潜伏期长和预后差而闻名。尽管ARDs的身体影响已得到广泛研究，但对受影响个体所面临的心理负担的研究却很有限。本研究调查了韩国275名被正式认定为石棉受害者的患者的抑郁和焦虑症状。使用韩国版的患者健康问卷-9（PHQ-9）、广泛性焦虑障碍-7（GAD-7）和医院焦虑抑郁量表（HADS）对心理健康进行评估。分析显示，石棉相关疾病患者的抑郁和焦虑水平的平均值±标准差，PHQ-9为8.06±6.27，GAD-7为6.02±5.64，HADS-A为7.09±5.44，HADS-D为8.41±5.47。石棉肺患者的抑郁和焦虑症状水平高于恶性间皮瘤或肺癌患者，症状严重程度随着石棉肺等级的增加而增加。与2020 - 2021年韩国国家健康与营养检查调查（KNHANES）的全国数据相比，ARD患者，尤其是1级石棉肺患者的PHQ-9和GAD-7得分高于所有主要癌症类型报告的得分。这些发现突出了ARD患者所经历的巨大心理困扰，并强调了针对这一人群进行有针对性的心理健康干预的迫切需求。
