AUTHOR=Geng Wenqi , Zhang Shangzhu , Cao Jinya , Zhu Boheng , Duan Yanping , Hong Xia , Wei Jing 

TITLE=Antipsychotics reduces mortality in patients with neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus: a retrospective study of psychiatric consultation cases

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1189940

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1189940

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Objective</title><p>This study aimed to identify the presence of psychiatric comorbidities as well as investigate the relationship between psychiatric interventions for mental symptoms and mortality in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Method</title><p>We retrospectively evaluated the records of 160 inpatients with SLE who required psychiatric consultation for further therapeutic intervention from 2013 to 2020 in a tertiary general hospital. We collected clinical data, including diagnoses, medications, and mortality rate. We compared clinical characteristics among the diagnosis groups and correlations between variables.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>A total of 138 (86.3%) patients met the diagnostic criteria for at least one mental disorder, with the most common being delirium (54.4%). The average Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) score significantly differed among the diagnosis groups (<italic>p</italic> = 0.003). The mortality rate among patients with delirium was significantly higher than that in the other patient groups (<italic>x</italic><sup>2</sup> = 12.967, <italic>p</italic> = 0.024). SLEDAI-2K score was not significantly correlated with mortality (<italic>r</italic> = 0.123, <italic>p</italic> = 0.087). Antipsychotics use was associated with mortality (odds ratio 0.053, <italic>p</italic> = 0.021).</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>Antipsychotic use may decrease death risk for patients with NPSLE. Early psychiatric consultation is necessary for patients with SLE who have developed or have suspected psychiatric symptoms in order to establish a comprehensive intervention plan.</p></sec>