Prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms and their determinant factors among patients with cancer in southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Mohammed Ayalew; Bedilu Deribe; Bereket Duko; Dereje Geleta; Netsanet Bogale; Lalisa Gemechu; Achamyelesh Gebretsadik; Asres Bedaso

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051317

Prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms and their determinant factors among patients with cancer in southern Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open. 2022 Jan 21;12(1):e051317. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051317.

Authors

Mohammed Ayalew¹, Bedilu Deribe², Bereket Duko^{2

3}, Dereje Geleta⁴, Netsanet Bogale⁵, Lalisa Gemechu⁶, Achamyelesh Gebretsadik⁴, Asres Bedaso^{2

7}

Affiliations

¹ School of Nursing, Hawassa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa, Ethiopia mameayale@gmail.com.
² School of Nursing, Hawassa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
³ Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, Perth, Australia.
⁴ School of Public Health, Hawassa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
⁵ Faculty of Medicine, Hawassa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
⁶ Environmental Health, Hawassa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa, Ethiopia.
⁷ Australian Centre for Public and Population Health Research, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia.

Abstract

Objective: The study was aimed to assess the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms and their determinant factors among patients with cancer attending follow-up at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital cancer treatment centre, Ethiopia.

Design: Institution-based cross-sectional study design was implemented.

Setting: Patients with cancer at Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital cancer treatment centre from October 2019 to December 2019.

Participants: Randomly selected 415 patients with cancer who had follow-up at cancer treatment centre.

Main outcome measures: Anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.

Result: The prevalence rates of depression and anxiety symptoms were found to be 244 (58.8%) and 249 (60.0%), respectively. Older age (>50 years) (AOR (adjusted OR)=2.24, 95% CI=1.14 to 4.40), being unemployed (AOR=1.96, 95% CI=1.08 to 3.56), advanced stage of cancer such as stage III (AOR=5.37, 95% CI=1.34 to 21.45) and stage IV (AOR=4.55, 95% CI=1.12 to 18.44), comorbid psychotic symptoms (AOR=1.67, 95% CI=1.07 to 2.61) and eating problem in the past 2 weeks (AOR=6.16, 95% CI=1.98 to 19.11) were independent factors significantly associated with depressive symptoms. In addition, cancer stage such as stage II (AOR=3.92, 95% CI=1.07 to 14.36) and stage IV (AOR=5.04, 95% CI=1.44 to 17.59) and comorbid psychotic symptoms (AOR=1.73, 95% CI=1.12 to 2.66) were significantly associated with anxiety symptoms.

Conclusion: Depression and anxiety symptoms among patients with cancer were considerably high. Age, occupation, cancer stage, comorbid psychotic symptoms and eating problem were determinant factors of depressive symptoms among patients with cancer. Moreover, cancer stage and comorbid psychosis were determinants of anxiety symptoms. Healthcare professionals working in the oncology unity need to conduct routine screening and treatment of depression and anxiety symptoms for patients with cancer.

Keywords: adult psychiatry; anxiety disorders; depression & mood disorders; oncology; suicide & self-harm.

MeSH terms

Anxiety / epidemiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Depression* / complications
Depression* / epidemiology
Ethiopia / epidemiology
Humans
Neoplasms* / complications
Neoplasms* / epidemiology
Prevalence