Depression in palliative care patients--a prospective study

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care Medicine
• Psychiatry
• Oncology

Background:

• Psychological distress is common in terminally ill patients.
• Undiagnosed depression significantly impacts patient well-being and quality of life.
• Understanding depression's prevalence and associated factors in palliative care is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of undiagnosed depression in palliative care patients with advanced metastatic cancer.
• To investigate associations between depression and factors like age, psychiatric history, and social support.
• To identify patient subgroups at higher risk for depression.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study involving 100 palliative care patients (18-70 years) with < or = 6 months prognosis.
• Utilized the Present State Examination interview and semi-structured interviews.
• Assessed social support, information needs, and past psychiatric history using International Classification of Diseases 10 criteria for depression diagnosis.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of depression was 22% among the studied palliative care patients.
• Younger age and a diagnosis of breast cancer were associated with a higher likelihood of depression.
• Perceived informal social support and past psychiatric history showed no significant association with depression, while information needs had a weak association.

Conclusions:

• Depression is prevalent in terminally ill cancer patients receiving palliative care.
• Younger patients and those with breast cancer require heightened awareness for depression.
• Further research is needed to explore the causes and outcomes of depression in this population.