Depression and anxiety among cancer patients visiting a tertiary care cancer hospital

doi:10.5498/wjp.v14.i2.287

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World Journal of Psychiatry

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2220-3206

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Baishideng Publishing Group Inc, 7041 Koll Center Parkway, Suite 160, Pleasanton, CA 94566, USA

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World J Psychiatry. Feb 19, 2024; 14(2): 287-295
Published online Feb 19, 2024. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v14.i2.287

Depression and anxiety among cancer patients visiting a tertiary care cancer hospital

Maheshor Kaphle, Diya Bajracharya, Nirmala Regmi, Dipsikha Aryal, Rajesh Karki

Maheshor Kaphle, Dipsikha Aryal, Department of Public Health, Peoples Dental College and Hospital, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44600, Bagmati, Nepal

Diya Bajracharya, Department of Public Health, CiST College, Pokhara University, Kathmandu 44600, Bagmati, Nepal

Nirmala Regmi, Department of Oncology, Kanti Hospital, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal

Rajesh Karki, Central Department of Public Health, Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu 44600, Bagmati, Nepal

Co-first authors: Maheshor Kaphle and Diya Bajracharya.

Author contributions: Kaphle M and Bajracharya D (equal contributors) conceptualized the study and prepared the proposal, data collection, data analysis, and preliminary preparation of the manuscript; Regmi N was involved in data curation and review of the manuscript; Aryal D was involved in writing and editing the manuscript; Karki R was involved in investigating, editing, and critically reviewing the manuscript; Kaphle M had the final authority to submit for publication; all authors have read and agreed to the published final version of the manuscript. Kaphle M and Bajracharya D have been designated co-first authors in recognition of their distinct yet complementary contributions throughout the research. Kaphle M excelled in data management, analysis, and bringing expertise in the critical review of the manuscript, while Bajracharya D played a key role in data collection, entry, preliminary analysis and contributed significantly to manuscript writing. Both authors demonstrated equal dedication and effort from project inception to completion, particularly during concept development, design, and critical writing and response to the reviewer. The collaborative nature of the research team was essential, with each member contributing unique skills and acknowledging it. It's important to note that while Kaphle M and Bajracharya D are co-first authors, appreciation extends to the entire team for their valuable contributions. The decision for co-first authorship reflects a transparent and inclusive process, honoring the collaborative spirit that propelled the success of the research.

Institutional review board statement: Permission was obtained from the hospital and ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Review Committee of CiST College (Ref. No.152/077/078) before the study.

Informed consent statement: Written consent was taken from the patients before interviewing them. The names of the participants were not used in any documents, instead, identification codes were used. Voluntarism and the freedom to withdraw from the study at any time were maintained.

Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Data sharing statement: The data related to this research can be found from correspondence author with reasonable demand.

STROBE statement: The authors have read the STROBE Statement—checklist of items, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the STROBE Statement—checklist of items.

Corresponding author: Maheshor Kaphle, MHsc, Reader (Associate Professor), Department of Public Health, Peoples Dental College and Hospital, Nayabazar, Kathmandu 44600, Bagmati, Nepal. kafmahesh@gmail.com

Received: September 29, 2023
Peer-review started: September 29, 2023
First decision: December 6, 2023
Revised: December 25, 2023
Accepted: January 19, 2024
Article in press: January 19, 2024
Published online: February 19, 2024
Processing time: 129 Days and 21 Hours

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS

Research background

Depression in cancer patients should be identified since it may lower survival rates and indicate early death. When anxiety and depression are present, treatment for depression and cancer might become more difficult and treatment compliance issues can make matters worse.

Research motivation

Cancer patients are more likely to experience psychological distress, and medical professionals fail to recognize cancer patients who are depressed and anxious, which results in inadequate treatment.

Research objectives

To assess the prevalence of depression and anxiety among cancer patients in a tertiary cancer center.

Research methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 220 cancer patients by convenience sampling of patients attending a tertiary cancer hospital. We used a face-to-face interview technique to collect the data by using the standard tool Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression sub-scale for anxiety. Simple descriptive analysis was performed by categorizing the depression and anxiety according to the score.

Research results

Most of the cancer patients had depression and one-third had anxiety. Among the respondents, 124 (56.4%) had mild depression, 70 (31.8%) had moderate depression, and 3 (1.3%) had severe depression; 79 (35.9%) had mild anxiety, 64 (29.1%) had moderate anxiety, and 4 (1.8%) had severe anxiety. It is noteworthy that 77 (43.8%) of the depressed patients were diagnosed with third-stage, followed by 58 (33.0%) with second-stage cancer, and 64 (43.5%) anxious patients with third-stage cancer.

Research conclusions

Most of the cancer patients had depression and about one-third had anxiety which was high in third-stage cancer.

Research perspectives

The prevalence of depression and anxiety was higher than in other studies. Our findings highlighted the necessity of counseling services parallel to cancer therapy.