The interferon therapy is associated with numerous adverse psychiatric effects, such as tension, irritability, insomnia, etc.

The goal of this study was to examine the severity and the frequency of anxiety in persons with chronic hepatitis C receiving pegylated interferon alpha combined with ribavirin. We have also tried to assess the efficiency of trazodone in treatment of symptoms of anxiety in patients receiving pegylated interferon.

The total of 36 patients whose diagnosis of chronic hepatitis C has been confirmed both serologically and patohistologically, receiving interferon therapy, ages 22 to 60, participated in this study. The control group consisted of 32 patients, all with same diagnosis, corresponding with those in the study group in terms of gender, age duration of the illness and the level of education. All patients received pegylated interferon alpha 2a, administered subcutaneously once per week, along with oral ribavirin. The research used the following instruments of clinical assessment: structural clinical interview–SCID, ICD–10; Hamilton anxiety rating scale–HAM-A, and the self-report scale for assessment of anxiety–state-trait anxiety inventory–STAI-Form Y. The testing using these instruments was conducted four weeks after the start of the treatment, then after eight weeks, after 12, 24 and 48 weeks, i.e. at the end of the treatment. The patients in the study group received 150–300 mg of trazodone per day, starting at the week 6 of interferon treatment.

The research showed that in the beginning of the interferon treatment approximately one quarter of the patients exhibited symptoms of anxiety in both groups. The administration of trazodone showed beneficial effects in reduction of anxiety induced by the treatment with pegylated interferon.

The author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.