QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH POSTOPERATIVE HYPOTHYROID AND HASHIMOTO THYROIDITIS

Purpose: The symptoms and findings resulting from thyroid dysfunctions display a picture similar to mood disorders such as depression and anxiety, which are the most common psychiatric disorders in the community. Therefore, this study aims to examine patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis receiving L-thyroxine therapy and euthyroid patients with postoperative hypothyroidism receiving L-thyroxine therapy in terms of their susceptibility to anxiety and depression and the change in their quality of life, as well as determine the role of the thyroid gland in psychosocial life. Material and method: For evaluating anxiety, depression, and quality of life, Beck depression and Beck anxiety inventories and SF-36 were administered to 120 people (20-80 years old) who were applied to the Department of Endocrinology of XXXX University. 40 of them had developed hypothyroidism after thyroid surgery, 40 were diagnosed with Hashimoto thyroiditis at some point in their life and are now in a euthyroid state after L-thyroxine treatment, and 40 were healthy people in the control group. Data were analyzed on SSPS. Results: The reasons for these psychosocial effects on individuals were evaluated in multiple ways, such as thyroid dysfunction, having a chronic disease, the idea of constant drug use, the effect of autoimmunity, and endogenous hormone secretion. Thyroidectomy patients' anxiety and depression were higher, and their quality of life was poorer than both Hashimoto thyroiditis patients and the control group (p<0.05). In addition, patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis and thyroidectomy had higher anxiety and depression and poorer quality of life than the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: It was concluded that patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis are more depressed and anxious and had a lower quality of life than the control group due to the autoimmunity effect. On the other hand, patients with thyroidectomy were psychologically more affected than Hashimoto thyroiditis patients, and their quality of life was poorer due to the lack of endogenous hormone secretion and/or the undiscovered physiological effect of the thyroid gland. It was concluded that maximal protection of the thyroid gland is crucial.