Abstract
Studies of depression in older Muslim Palestinians diagnosed with cancer are scarce. To gain insight into the psychological response and coping ability of this very large, globally distributed population, we collected data from older Muslim Palestinian people diagnosed with cancer concerning depression hope and perceived social support. Both hope and social support were selected because they can be manipulated through intervention and education, as shown in the geriatric literature. Data were compared to data collected from older Jewish Israeli people diagnosed with cancer. The study sample comprised 143 Muslim Palestinian and 110 Jewish Israeli people diagnosed with cancer, aged ≥ 65. All participants were either in treatment for active disease or within 6months of such treatment. Self-administered measures included depression (the Five-Item Geriatric Depression Scale), perceived social support (Cancer Perceived Agents of Social Support Questionnaire) and hope (Snyder's Adult Hope Scale). Hope and depression were both found to be significantly higher among the Muslim Palestinian patients than in the Jewish Israeli participants. In both samples, higher levels of hope were associated with lower levels of depression, with this correlation stronger in the Jewish Israeli group. To improve the psychological wellbeing of patients, healthcare providers must exercise cultural sensitivity in their interactions, respecting the perspectives of both the patients and their families. Incorporating the concept of hope into the therapeutic dialogue and language may improve psychological wellbeing and synchronize the needs and expectations of patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals, resulting in more equitable, effective and value-oriented care.
Highlights
The global number of older people diagnosed with cancer is estimated to increase rapidly in the decade [1]
General hope was significantly higher among Muslim patients, specific hope items were significantly higher among Jewish patients, and depression was significantly higher among Muslim patients
Hope was the most significant predictor of depression in both samples, among Jewish patients, with higher hope relating to lower depression
Summary
The global number of older people diagnosed with cancer is estimated to increase rapidly in the decade [1]. While general research concerning the psychosocial aspects of cancer diagnosis and treatment among older people is not extensive [2], the literature is sparse regarding older Muslim patients, both in Muslim majority and minority countries [3,4]. The goal of this research was to examine psychosocial variables (hope, perceived social support, and depression) relating to cancer among older Muslim Palestinians and Jewish Israelis diagnosed with cancer. Depression rates among Muslim Palestinians are 1.5 (men) and 1.7 (women) times higher than among Jewish Israelis [8]. We used the five relevant items from the longer validated Hebrew version and a professional translation of the English version into Arabic (as required by the Helsinki Committee). The recommended cutoff score ≥ 2 is the clinical cutoff for susceptibility to depression [27]
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