Depression and abnormal illness behavior in cancer patients

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Psychiatry
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Depression is frequently observed in cancer patients.
• Abnormal illness behaviors, such as denial and irritability, are associated with medical illness.
• Understanding the interplay between depression and illness behavior in cancer is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between depression and abnormal illness behavior in cancer patients.
• To assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms in newly diagnosed cancer patients.
• To explore correlations between specific illness behaviors and demographic/treatment variables.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 196 cancer patients with good performance status.
• Utilized the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and Illness Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ) in Italian validated forms.
• Statistical analysis, including correlation, to examine relationships between depression and illness behavior dimensions.

Main Results:

• Prevalence of depressive symptoms ranged from 23.97% to 38.26% based on HDRS cutoff scores.
• Depressed patients exhibited higher scores on most IBQ dimensions, excluding psychological versus somatic perception.
• Higher denial was linked to female gender and chemotherapy; irritability was higher in hospitalized patients.

Conclusions:

• Depression is significantly associated with various dimensions of abnormal illness behavior in cancer patients.
• Psychosocial variables, including denial and irritability, warrant further investigation in cancer care.
• The findings underscore the importance of routine screening for depression and illness behavior in oncology settings.