Prevalence and clinical correlates of restless legs syndrome in psychiatric patients: A cross-sectional study from North India.

BACKGROUND: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a neuro-sensorimotor disorder which is scarcely researched and is commonly missed in routine psychiatry practice.

AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of RLS and its correlates in patients with anxiety, depression, and somatoform disorders.

METHODS: A cross-sectional single-center study was undertaken in patients aged 18-65 years suffering from ICD-10 (International Statistical Classification of Diseases-10th edition) diagnosis of anxiety, depressive, and somatoform disorders. RLS was evaluated by using diagnostic criteria of International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) and severity measured on IRLSSG scale. Depression and anxiety were rated on Hamilton Depression and Anxiety Rating Scales respectively, insomnia severity measured by Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and quality of life measured by WHO Quality of Life-Brief version (WHO-QOL BREF) scale. Serum ferritin levels were measured for evaluating iron deficiency.

RESULTS: The rate of RLS was 66.7%, 50%, and 48% in patients with depressive, anxiety, and somatoform disorders, respectively, with no significant inter-group difference. Nearly one-third of patients suffered from severe to very severe symptoms of RLS, and quality of life was poorest in those with depressive disorders. RLS was significantly higher in females ( P = 0.019), who were married ( P = 0.040), diagnosed with severe depression ( P = 0.029), and abused benzodiazepines ( P = 0.045). On binary logistic regression, female gender and presence of clinical insomnia predicted occurrence of RLS.

CONCLUSION: The prevalence of RLS is very high in patients with common psychiatric disorders which is often missed. Clinical enquiry and examination for reversible causes such as iron deficiency may assist in its diagnosis and improve clinical outcome.