Anxiety and depression in relatives of patients with cancer

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15587/2519-4798.2020.199785

Keywords:

medical-psychological help, psychopathological symptoms, anxiety, depression, oncology, psycho-oncology, family cancer patient

Abstract

Life-threatening diseases to the family of cancer patient are psychotraumatic situation and present a difficult challenge.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the psychopathological symptoms, namely the manifestations of anxiety and depression in relatives of cancer patients at different stages of the disease and depending on the level of adaptation of the family system.

Contingent and research methods. The study involved 288 families with a cancer patient, with women in 174 families, and men in 144 ones. At the stage of primary contact with cancer, there were 78 families with women and 51 families with men, and 96 and 63 families, respectively, after the recurrence of the disease. Among the interviewed families, 55 families were classified as “adapted”, 127 were “borderline”, 106 were “disadapted”. HADS was used to assess the psychopathological symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Results. The psycho-emotional state of relatives cancer patients was determined by the combination of the influence of a number of factors, which included the stage of the disease, the level of family adaptation, gender component. The increase in psychopathological symptoms, both depressive and anxious, led to the continuation of the disease as a result of the growing needs of the patient and the need for psychosocial support. Violation of family adaptation correlated with the severity of psychopathological manifestations. The psycho-emotional state of women was dominated by the anxiety state, while the men had relatively higher depressive manifestations.

Conclusions. Psychocorrection of emotional state of cancer patient’s relatives and stabilization of the family system are important components of medical-psychological help in oncology practice

Author Biography

Tamara Krivonis, National Pirogov Memorial Medical University Pirogova str., 56. Vinnitsya, Ukraine, 21018

PhD, Associate Professor

Department of Medical Psychology and Psychiatry with Postgraduate Course

References

  1. National Cancer registry of Ukraine (2019). Kyiv: National Cancer Institute. Available at: http://www.ncru.inf.ua/publications/ucr_data_2019.pdf
  2. Hess, C. B., Chen, A. M. (2014). Measuring psychosocial functioning in the radiation oncology clinic: a systematic review. Psycho-Oncology, 23 (8), 841–854. doi: http://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3521
  3. Traa, M. J., Braeken, J., De Vries, J., Roukema, J. A., Slooter, G. D., Crolla, R. M. P. H. et. al. (2015). Sexual, marital, and general life functioning in couples coping with colorectal cancer: a dyadic study across time. Psycho-Oncology, 24 (9), 1181–1188. doi: http://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3801
  4. Nayak, M., George, A., Vidyasagar, M., Mathew, S., Nayak, S., Nayak, B. et. al. (2015). Symptoms experienced by cancer patients and barriers to symptom management. Indian Journal of Palliative Care, 21 (3), 349. doi:10.4103/0973-1075.164893
  5. Holland, J. C., Breitbart, W. S., Jacobsen, P. B., Loscalzo, M. J., McCorkle, R., Butow, P. N. (Eds.) (2015). Psycho-Oncology. Oxford University Press, 772. doi: http://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780199363315.001.0001
  6. Lukhmana, S., Bhasin, S. K., Chhabra, P.et. al. (2015). Family caregivers' burden: A hospital based study in 2010 among cancer patients from Delhi. Indian Journal of Cancer, 52 (1), 146– 151. doi: http://doi.org/10.4103/0019-509x.175584
  7. Nielsen, M. K., Neergaard, M. A., Jensen, A. B., Bro, F., & Guldin, M.-B. (2016). Psychological distress, health, and socio-economic factors in caregivers of terminally ill patients: a nationwide population-based cohort study. Support Care in Cancer, 24 (7), 3057–3067.
  8. Mukharovska, I. R. (2017). Psychological help for family members of cancer patients at different stages of the treatment. Journal of Education, Health and Sport, 7 (1), 583–590. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1036778
  9. Jia, M., Li, J., Chen, C., Cao, F. (2015). Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in family caregivers of adult patients with acute leukemia from a dyadic perspective. Psycho-Oncology, 24 (12), 1754–1760. doi: http://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3851
  10. Drabe, N., Klaghofer, R., Weidt, S., Zwahlen, D., Büchi, S., Jenewein, J. (2015). Mutual associations between patients' and partners' depression and quality of life with respect torelationship quality, physical complaints, and sense of coherence in couples coping with cancer. Psycho oncology, 24 (4), 442–450. doi: http://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3662
  11. Nipp, R. D., El-Jawahri, A., Fishbein, J. N., Gallagher, E. R., Stagl, J. M., Park, E. R. et. al. (2016). Factors associated with depression and anxiety symptoms in family caregivers of patients with incurable cancer. Annals of Oncology, 27 (8), 1607–1612. doi: http://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdw205
  12. Zigmond, A. S., Snaith, R. P. (1983). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 67 (6), 361–370. doi: http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1983.tb09716.x
  13. Sandén, U., Nilsson, F., Thulesius, H., Hägglund, M., Harrysson, L. (19). Cancer, a relational disease exploring the needs of relatives to cancer patients. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 14 (1), 1622354. doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2019.1622354
  14. Partanen, E., Lemetti, T., Haavisto, E. (2018). Participation of relatives in the care of cancer patients in hospital-A scoping review. European Journal of Cancer Care, 27 (2), e12821. doi: http://doi.org/10.1111/ecc.12821
  15. Cho, Y., Jeon, Y., Jang, S.-I., Park, E.-C. (2018). Family Members of Cancer Patients in Korea Are at an Increased Risk of Medically Diagnosed Depression. Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, 51 (2), 100–108. doi: http://doi.org/10.3961/jpmph.17.166
  16. Park, B., Kim, S. Y., Shin, J.-Y., Sanson-Fisher, R. W., Shin, D. W., Cho, J., Park, J. H. (2013). Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts in Anxious or Depressed Family Caregivers of Patients with Cancer: A Nationwide Survey in Korea. PLoS ONE, 8 (4), e60230. doi: http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0060230

Published

2020-04-01

How to Cite

Krivonis, T. (2020). Anxiety and depression in relatives of patients with cancer. ScienceRise: Medical Science, (2 (35), 45–52. https://doi.org/10.15587/2519-4798.2020.199785

Issue

Section

Medical Science