Association of Synthetic House-Tree-Person Drawing Test and Depression in Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND: Evidence regarding the relationship between synthetic house-tree-person (S-HTP) drawing test and depression in cancer patients is limited. The aim of this study was to explore the applicability and validity of S-HTP drawing test in cancer patients suffering from depression. METHODS: As a population based cross-sectional study, 167 patients with cancer were enrolled in a hospital in China from December 2015 to December 2017. Self-edited general information questionnaire, self-rating depression scale (SDS), and the S-HTP drawing test were completed by all participants. RESULTS: The average age of 167 selected participants was 52.92 ± 10.43 years old, and about 58.7% (98/167) of them were male. On SDS, depression rate was found in 34.1% (27/167) cancer patients. The logistic regression equation was established by using the depression drawing characteristics as the independent variables and the evaluation results from SDS as the dependent variable and 9 drawing characteristics employed in the regression equation (χ2 = 68.657, P < 0.001. Nagelkerke R(2)= 0.466). Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between S-HTP drawing test and SDS for depression state of cancer patients (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: There are interrater reliability and test-retest reliability between S-HTP drawing test and SDS. The S-HTP drawing test could help in screening depression in cancer patients.