Unveiling the Hidden Struggles: Why Mental Health Matters for COPD Patients

Mental health issues are often overlooked in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A recent study shows that this neglect can worsen symptoms and reduce quality of life. The findings appear in the January 2025 issue of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation.

COPD is a lung disease that includes conditions like chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It can develop due to genetic factors or environmental irritants like smoke and pollution. In the United States alone, more than 30 million people suffer from COPD, making it a leading cause of death globally.

Many individuals with COPD also experience depression and anxiety. These conditions can increase the severity of COPD symptoms and negatively impact daily life. While screening tools are used to check for mental health symptoms, they aren’t foolproof for diagnosing these disorders.

This study analyzed data from the Anxiety and COPD Evaluation, a larger survey designed to investigate anxiety in COPD patients. Researchers used the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) to identify participants who could be diagnosed with depression or anxiety.

Out of 220 participants, 18 (about 8%) showed signs of depression and 17 (also around 8%) exhibited anxiety symptoms according to the MINI criteria. Alarmingly, fewer than half of those with these diagnoses were currently receiving mental health support or taking antidepressants, highlighting a significant gap in care.

The study also found a link between depression, anxiety, and worse physical symptoms. People with these mental health issues reported more breathlessness, lower functionality, poorer sleep quality, and a diminished quality of life.

“COPD patients sometimes undergo screening for mental health issues, but these tools can’t conclusively diagnose conditions like depression and anxiety. Our research shows the importance of accurately diagnosing these issues to alleviate symptoms and enhance life quality. More studies are needed to explore how treating mental health can improve COPD outcomes over time.”

— Jing Gennie Wang, M.D., pulmonologist at The Ohio State University

It’s crucial to recognize and address mental health alongside physical health in people with COPD. By improving access to mental health care, we can help reduce the overall burden of this disease and promote better living conditions for patients.

For further reading, see the study by Wang et al. (2025) in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases: Journal of the COPD Foundation [doi.org/10.15326/jcopdf.2024.0534].