Abstract
Background: Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is a major challenge worldwide and significantly affects patients’ quality of life. This comparative study examines the prevalence of anxiety, depression and stress in patients with MDR-TB compared to patients with chemosensitive TB using the DAS-21R questionnaire. Methodology: The study included 244 patients diagnosed with pulmonary TB over a 10-year period. In these patients, the DAS-21R questionnaire was used and comparatively analyzed to determine the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms in patients with MDR-TB compared to those with drug sensible TB (DS-TB). Results: The analysis revealed significantly higher rates of extreme anxiety (60%), major depression (19%) and severe stress (20%) in MDR-TB patients compared to patients with drug-sensitive TB. Conclusions: The results show that there is an urgent need for screening and management of depression and anxiety in the treatment of MDR-TB. Integration of psychosocial services into TB control programs can significantly reduce distress and improve treatment of this severe form of TB.