A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY OF THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AND DEPRESSION AMONG THE ADULT CANCER PATIENTS VISITING A TERTIARY HOSPITAL

ABSTRACT

Background: Psychological distress and depression persist in cancer patients, creating an additional burden during treatment and making it more challenging in terms of management and control. There are few studies on the prevalence of psychological distress and depression among cancer patients in the central India. Hence the present study was undertaken to study the prevalence of psychological distress and depression in the adult cancer patients. Method- A total of 271 patients, age between 18 to 75 years, who have been diagnosed with malignancy and receiving treatment from tertiary health care center were included in the study. They were given the Kessler psychological distress scale (K-10), and their responses were recorded. The Beck depression inventory was utilized to determine the severity of depression. Results- Among 271 patients, 112(41.32%) were males and 159(58.67 %) females. Maximum patients were in the age group of 40–60 years (43.17%). Total number of patients suffering from distress was 254(93%) out of 271, most of them (53.87%) had distress score ranging from 25-29 (Moderate). Among 271 patients, 235 (86.71%) patients had mild to severe depression, most of them had depression score between 10-18 (mild). Out of 87 head, neck cancer patients, 74 (85.05%) had depression. High rate of depression found in head neck cancer as compared to other types of cancer. Using the Kessler and Beck Conclusion- depression inventory, this study indicates the high level of distress and sadness among cancer patients. Screening for psychosocial issues and proper treatments are only the beginning of genuinely integrative cancer care strategy.