Evaluation of level of depression, anxiety and hopelesness in cancer patients and their relatives

Cancer is a clinical entity that affects not only the patient?s life but also the life of patient?s family creating emotional strains. Three hundreds thirty cancer patients who applied to Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine Oncology Deparment and three hundreds thirty relatives of these patients were enrolled in this study. Male and female ratio (M / F) of the patients was 153 / 177 with a mean age of 53 years and the M / F of the relatives was 142 / 188 with a mean age of 45.2 years. To determine the psychological status of the patients and their relatives, three instruments (Beck depression, Beck hopelessness and state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI)) which are translated and validated in Turkish language, were used. Ninety-six (29.1 %) patients were found to have mild, 60 (18,2 %) patients were found to have severe depression mood. Seventy-one (21,5 %) relatives had mild, 24 (7.3 %) relatives had severe depression (totally 95 (28.8 %) relatives were depressive) according to Beck depression scale. When we evaluated them by Beck hopelessness scale (including 0-63 points), we found that the mean value was 5.92 points in patients, 5.11 points in the relatives. There was a small, but statistically significant difference between two groups. Anxiety evaluation was made by STAI. There was also a statistical difference between two groups by STAI scale (patients: 44.9 vs. relatives: 43.2). The depression and anxiety levels were found higher in women, in people with low socio-economic level, having a time interval longer than 6 months from the diagnosis, having relapsing disease. Awareness of the nature of the disease was lowering the depression level in the patients. In conclusion, cancer creates psychiatric problems (depression, anxiety) and emotional disturbances in every stage of the disease containing diagnosis, treatment and palliative therapy periods in the patients and their relatives. Care should be paid to cancer patients in order to diagnose and treat their psychiatric disorders and sufficient information about their disease should be given.