[Analysis of depression intensification in cancer patients before and during chemotherapy]

The aim of the study was a comparative analysis of depression in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and patients during diagnostic process. An attempt was made to solve a research problem whether chemotherapy causes depression intensification in patients with a diagnosis of cancer.

Cancer patients before the chemotherapy treatment (n = 77, group A) were examined first. Then a group of patients undergoing standard chemotherapy in hospital was examined (n=105, group B). The tool used was Zung Self-rating Depression Scale.

Mean of self-rating depression scale was 35.20 in group B and 32.34 in group A. 93.3% of patients in group B and 92.2% of patients in group A did not have psychopathological symptoms. Mild depression was observed by 6.7% of group B patients and 6.5% of group A patients. Only one person in group A scored 80 points, which indicated severe depression. In group B education level and physical activity highly correlated with the depression scale score. In group A it was gender that significantly differentiated the self-rating depression scores.

Patients undergoing chemotherapy got higher scores on the self-rating depression scale which proves that they are more liable to depression. Depression was more often observed in women, people with vocational education and patients unable to continue working.