I received an article via email titled “Associations between adherence, depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life in young adults with cystic fibrosis.”  The first line of the article is the following, “Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a life shortening disease, however prognosis has improved and the adults with cystic fibrosis live independent lives and balance the demands of work and family life with a significant treatment burden.  They administered 3 standardized questionnaires to 67 CF patients aged 18-30 years; Medication Adherence Scale, Major Depression Inventory and CF Questionnaire.  One third of the participants reported systems of depression. Health-related quality of life scores were especially low on vitality and treatment burden and symptoms of depression were associated with low health-related quality of life.  High depression symptoms scores were associated with low adherence.  All of that mumbo jumbo means that depression and CF go hand in hand.  The higher the rate of depression, the lower rate of adherence of treatments and meds, etc. and vice versa.   Continue reading →