UK patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome are at increased risk from clinical depression.

Objective: This study was undertaken to assess the presence and degree of anxiety and depression in a group of UK patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (1 degrees SS).

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Department of Oral Medicine, Liverpool University Dental Hospital.

Subjects: Eighty adult patients; 40 diagnosed with 1 degrees SS according to the revised European Criteria and 40 age/gender-matched controls with no history of chronic illness.

Intervention: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), a self-administered questionnaire designed to evaluate the presence and degree of anxiety and depression in a clinical setting.

Main Outcome Measures: Age, gender, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

Results: Forty patients with 1degrees SS and 40/age/gender-matched controls completed the HADS. Scores for anxiety in both the 1 degrees SS and control groups showed no statistically significant difference. Patients with 1 degrees SS had statistically significant higher, mean HADS scores for depression than the controls. There was an increased prevalence of 'definite' clinical depression in the 1 degrees SS group.

Conclusion: Patients with 1 degrees SS appear to be at increased risk from clinical depression. Early recognition and appropriate intervention is therefore essential to reduce the negative impact of depression on the patient's quality of life and outcome of their disease.