Prevalence of Emotional Distress in Cancer Patients

Abstract

Background: Emotional distress in cancer patients may interfere with the ability to cope effectively with cancer, its physical symptoms and its treatment. This in turn causes significant increase in psychiatric morbidity leading to poor outcome in the patients. Objective: To assess prevalence of anxiety and depression and to study effects of socio demographic and cancer variables causing emotional distress. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional hospital based study was conducted at Oncology department of tertiary care hospital after an approval from institutional ethical committee. The participants were included by random sampling method. Total 100 patients diagnosed by oncology physician or surgeon were interviewed after obtaining informed consent. The detailed information of study was given to every participant. Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS), a well validated, easy to administer and acceptable scale was used for measuring anxiety & depression level. On HADS cut off score of >07 was taken as possible cases. Data collected was compiled, tabulated in Microsoft excel sheet and analyzed by SPSS software 16.0 versions with the help of a statistician. Results: Thus 100 consecutive consenting diagnosed patients of cancer attending oncology department were studied. On Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale the mean anxiety and depression scores were 7.73 (SD 4.57) & 6.63 (SD 4.23) respectively. The range of scores on anxiety subscale was 0-18 & 0-16 on depression subscale. 47% had anxiety & 39% were having depression with cut off score of >07 on each subscales. 23% of cancer patients were having scores in moderate to severe category on both HAD subscales. Total HADS score had range of 0-34 with mean of 14.21. 42% cases were having emotional distress on HADS score (Total Score of HADS >15). Conclusion: On the basis of the study we would recommend that cancer patients require not only medical treatment approach but psychological measures as well to cope up with associated emotional distress. Early recognition and management of emotional distress will significantly decrease the burden on health care cost and improve the quality outcome in cancer treatment.