Quantifying depression and the risk of chronic liver diseases

Results from a large-scale longitudinal cohort study

Bibliographic Data

ID22084398
AuthorsHailiang Wang (0000-0002-6668-7947, Central Hospital of Zibo, corresponding author), Shuju Zhao, Xueqing Wang (0000-0002-1749-0769, China Medical University), Xiaoyang Liu (0000-0002-8619-0356, Sichuan University, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume13
Pages1584211-1584211
Publication date2025-09-26
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2296-2565 • E-ISSN: 2296-2565
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpubh.2025.1584211
PMID41080849
OpenAlexW4414551411
LanguageEN
References cited23

Background Chronic liver diseases and depression are both major public health concerns worldwide, particularly among aging populations. However, evidence on the prospective association between depressive symptoms and the risk of developing chronic liver diseases remains limited. The aim of this study is to explore the potential association in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Methods Data for this study were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), and 11,272 participants without prior liver disease were finally included in this study. Depression was assessed using the CESD-10, with scores analyzed as continuous variables and chronic liver diseases were self-reported based on physician diagnosis. By adjusting for multiple covariates, Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios and restricted cubic spline models were applied to assess the potential non-linear relationships. Findings Over a mean follow-up period of 6.85 years, a total of 570 participants were finally diagnosed with chronic liver diseases. Multivariate regression analyses revealed a significant association between CESD scores and the risk of liver diseases among study participants even accounting for all potential covariates (HR: 1.020, 95% CI: 1.006–1.033, p = 0.004). Conclusion We identified a significant association between depressive symptoms and subsequent development of chronic liver diseases. Based on observational findings, depressive symptoms may represent a potential early marker of liver disease risk. These findings highlight the importance of integrating mental health assessments into early routine clinical care

Chronic liver disease · Cohort · Cohort study · Disease · Longitudinal study · Mental health · Observational study · Hepatitis C virus research · Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment · Liver Diseases and Immunity · Epidemiology

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access