[Prevalence of anxiety and depression in cancer outpatients and their spouses]

To assess prevalence rates of anxiety disorder and depression in patients and their spouses treated in a cancer outpatient clinic of a university hospital. Also the distress-thermometer (DT) was tested as a screening instrument for anxiety disorders and depression.

109 patients with different cancer types of different stages as well as their 109 spouses were assessed by questionnaires.

In the patient sample anxiety levels were increased in 24.7% and in 20.2% for depression. In spouses anxiety levels were increased in 41.0% and in 21.6% for depression. Female spouses had higher anxiety levels than male spouses (p < 0.01); increased anxiety levels were found in 48% of the female spouses. In the patients sample the distress-thermometer has good values for sensitivity [0.93 (anxiety); 0.82 (depression)] and satisfying measures of specifity [0.68 (anxiety); 0.62 (depression)].

Female spouses of cancer patients are at increased risk for psychiatric morbidity, a fact that should be considered in future oncological care. The distress-thermometer is a simple, time saving and sensitive screening instrument to assess psychiatric morbidity in cancer patients, which can be recommended for clinical use.