30 May 2025 • A nationwide Taiwanese study found that patients with polymyositis (PM) and dermatomyositis (DM) face a striking 62% higher risk of psychiatric disorders compared to matched controls.

Depression was the most common psychiatric disorder, with its incidence more than twice as high (IRR 2.25).

Women and those treated with high-dose or intravenous steroids carry the greatest risk.

These patients also experience a 3.4-fold increase in mortality and nearly double the suicide risk (IRR 1.99).

This underscores the critical need for routine mental health screening and integrated psychiatric care in PM/DM treatment to improve outcomes and reduce preventable deaths.

Source: BMJ Open | Read Full Story