Depression among multidrug-resistant tuberculosis patients in Punjab, Pakistan: a large cross-sectional study.

Background And Objectives: Depression is likely to be a factor in the low global rates of successful treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) due to poor adherence to treatment. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of depression among patients being treated for MDR-TB in Pakistan, explore rates of depression over the course of treatment and identify risk factors for depression.

Design: This cross-sectional study analysed health care service data from 12 treatment sites following a single screening event using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9).