Depression profile in malignancy patients attending otorhinolaryngology clinic

PURPOSE: Patients with malignancy quite often suffer from physical as well as psychological symptoms due to the shattering diagnosis, and prolonged, incapacitating management. The frequency of the depressive disorder in malignancy is around 8–40%. The present study aims at analysing the socio-demographic profile and magnitude of depressive disorders in patients with malignancy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in malignancy patients attending an Ear Nose Throat department using the PHQ-9 questionnaire. RESULTS: Total PHQ-9 score ranged from 0 to 19; the mean score was 8.46. Major depressive disorder was seen in 4 (8%) cases, while other depressive disorder occurred in 22 (44%) cases. Mild severity of symptoms was noted in 15 (30%) of the patients. High statistical significance was noted between PHQ-9 score for MDD and other depressive disorder (p value < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The profile of depressive disorders in malignancy varies; PHQ-9 can be used as a good tool for early detection. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00405-020-06289-w) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.