The prevalence of anxiety, depression and the mediating role in leprosy patients: a nationally representative cross-sectional study.

Leprosy is a chronic disease that severely affects the skin and nerves, sometimes leading to disability. The deformities deepen stigma and discrimination, even among patients who have been cured. Consequently, leprosy patients are more likely to suffer from mental illnesses than other diseases. A cross-sectional study was conducted in four Chinese provinces (Fujian, Yunnan, Shandong, and Guizhou), including patients who had completed the full course of multidrug therapy (MDT). We assessed anxiety and depression using the SAS and SDS scales, and functional ability using the ADLs. Influencing factors were analyzed with multiple linear regression, and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the relationships between anxiety, depression. A total of 382 valid questionnaires were received, with a participation rate of 95.5%. Among the participants, 24.08% reported anxiety, 22.51% reported depression, 45.81% experienced impairments in ADLs, and 65.18% had at least one of these conditions. Notably, 3.66% of patients experienced anxiety, depression, and ADL impairments concurrently. Multiple linear regression results showed that the No. of other chronic diseases (P = 0.004), income (P = 0.016), live with patients (P = 0.005), and other ethnic (P<0.001) have a significant correlation with anxiety (R