Anxiety and depression among new cancer patients

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Definitive diagnosis, tedious treatment methods, and long treatment duration are possible factors contributing to psychiatric disorders in cancerous patients, including anxiety and depression. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the effective factors on the occurrence of psychiatric disorders in newly diagnosed cancer patients. METHODS: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in Semnan, Iran, in 2018, in which 122 patients with cancer were included. In this study, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire was used to collect the required data. Frequency comparisons between the sub-groups were performed using the Chi-square test and, if necessary, Fisher’s exact test. Moreover, the T-test or Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare numerical variables. RESULTS: In this study, the mean values of total depression and total anxiety among patients were 26.2% and 28.6%, respectively. According to the results, anxiety was observed in 74.3% of low-income people and 80% of females. Gender and income were significantly associated with anxiety in patients with cancer (p < 0/05). However, no significant association was found between depression and the variables of gender, age, level of education, and income (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The inclusion of psychiatric interventions in the treatment program of cancer patients can be effective in controlling psychiatric disorders, especially depression and anxiety.