TITLE:
Prevalence and Predictors of Anxiety and Depression among Gynaecological Cancer Patients at a Tertiary Health Facility in Southern Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Justina Omoikhefe Alegbeleye, Olusegun Biyi-Olutunde
KEYWORDS:
Prevalence, Predictors, Anxiety, Depression, Gynaecological Cancer
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Biosciences and Medicines,
Vol.11 No.7,
July
14,
2023
ABSTRACT: Background: Cancer patients frequently suffer from mental health problems because of their reactions to their cancer diagnosis, cancer type, treatment effects, recurrence, fear of the end-of-life, survival, and financial burden. Some hospitals have integrated mental health assessments into cancer care, but our centre has little experience with this practice. Aim and Objectives: To ascertain the prevalence and predictors of anxiety and depression in patients with gynaecological cancer at a tertiary health facility in southern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This was a facility-based cross-sectional descriptive study of 75 women with histologically confirmed gynaecological cancer managed at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022. Individuals having a history of drug addiction, severe cognitive impairment, non-consenting patients, and those with communication difficulties were excluded from the study. A data collection form was used to obtain socio-demographic, reproductive, and clinical characteristics, while the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to assess for anxiety and depression. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics to determine the association of variables with anxiety and depression. Results: Most 27 (36.0%) of the respondents were in 40 - 49 age group with a mean age of 50.4 ± 12.3 years. The study showed that 39 (52.0%) of the respondents exhibited symptoms of anxiety, of which 14 (35.9%) were mild, 20 (51.3%) had moderate anxiety and 5 (12.8%) experienced severe anxiety. In addition, 46 (61.3%) of them showed symptoms of depression, of which 17 (37.0%) were mild, 15 (32.6%) were moderate and 14 (30.4%) experienced severe depression. The ratio of respondents who showed anxiety to those that showed symptoms of depression was 5: 6. The factors associated with anxiety were partner’s educational level (X2 = 4.745, p = 0.029), parity (X2 = 6.651, p = 0.036) and duration of diagnosis (X2 = 8.321, p = 0.004), while partner’s educational level (X2 = 6.810, p = 0.009), parity (X2 = 7.129, p = 0.028), age of coitarche (X2 = 6.512, p = 0.039) and duration of diagnosis (X2 = 4.955, p = 0.026) were significantly associated with depression. Conclusion: More than half of the respondents experienced anxiety, while about two-thirds experienced depression. There is a need to incorporate psychological evaluation into the care of gynaecological cancer patients.