Sánchez-García, Juan CarlosCortés-Martín, JonathanRodríguez-Blanque, RaquelMarín-Jiménez, Ana EugeniaMontiel-Troya, MariaDíaz-Rodríguez, Lourdes2023-02-092023-02-092021-03-21http://hdl.handle.net/10668/17455Scientific knowledge on depression and anxiety in patients with rare diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic is scarce; however, it is essential to perform comprehensive management of these patients. The aim of this study was to research how the situation caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has influenced the lives of patients with rare diseases regarding depression and anxiety. This Spanish study considered a heterogeneous population sample of 86 patients with confirmed diagnosis of different rare diseases. Participants took part in a cross-sectional online study by completing specific questionnaires on the study topic. Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and the General Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) was used for evaluating anxiety. Data collection through an online questionnaire allowed for a greater population scope and therefore the inclusion patients of other nationalities in the study sample. Finally, as a general result, this study found that, in the face of the pandemic, anxiety and depression remained at a higher level in this group than in the general population, making these patients a vulnerable population group.enAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/COVID-19SARS CoV-2anxietydepressionpandemicrare diseaseAnxietyAnxiety DisordersCOVID-19Cross-Sectional StudiesDepressionHumansMental HealthPandemicsRare DiseasesSARS-CoV-2Surveys and Questionnairesresearch article33800980open access10.3390/ijerph180632341660-4601PMC8003983https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/6/3234/pdf?version=1616307335https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8003983/pdf