Assessment of Depression and Disability in Lung Cancer Patients in a Nigerian De-Addiction Unit

Abstract

Introduction: Depression and lung cancers both independently result in disability. Depression has been documented to worsen the quality of life in patients with lung cancers and this co-morbidity could result in more disability. The relationship between depression, lung cancer and disability has only been explored in high income countries and there could be cross-cultural variation in low and middle income countries. There is a lack of data on this relationship in Nigeria. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of depression and disability in patients with lung cancer in a teaching hospital. Method: Eighty patients with lung cancer aged 35 to 80 years, attending a tobacco-cessation program were matched by age and gender with 80 patients without lung cancer attending the study center for simple ailments. Depression was assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatry Interview (MINI), information on lung cancer was by self-report corroborated by physician written medical report, while the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0), was used to assess disability. All analyses were carried out using SPSS version 16.0. Results: Fifty one percent of patients with lung cancer had depression compared to 6.3% in the matched control. Among patients with lung cancer, disability was significantly associated with depression after controlling for smoking OR = 9.1, 95% CI (2.5-28.5), and stage of lung cancer OR = 2.1, 95% CI (1-13-9.42). Conclusion: There is a critical need to screen for and manage depression in lung cancer patients in order to reduce disability.