Prevalence and Associated Positive Psychological Variables of Depression and Anxiety among Chinese Cervical Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

BackgroundThe prevalence of depression and anxiety and its associated factors in cervical cancer are not well evaluated in China. Meanwhile, with increasing attention given to positive psychological variables in oncology field, there is a need to conduct a study to explore the integrative effects of positive psychological variables on depression/anxiety so as to provide patients a more holistic cancer care. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of depression/anxiety as well as the integrative effects of hope, optimism and general self-efficacy on depression/anxiety among Chinese cervical cancer patients.MethodsA multi-centre, cross-sectional study was conducted of consecutive inpatients at the Liaoning Cancer Hospital & Institute and the Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University in Liaoning Province, northeast China. A total of 224 cervical cancer patients eligible for this study completed questionnaires on demographic and clinic variables, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Herth Hope Index, Life Orientation Scale-Revised, and General Self-Efficacy Scale during February and August 2013.ResultsThe prevalence of depression and anxiety was 52.2% and 65.6% in cervical cancer patients. The anxiety score was significantly higher in patients at the period of 4–6 months after diagnose and at cancer stage II. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that hope, optimism and general self-efficacy as a whole accounted for 31.3% variance of depression and 35.6% variance of anxiety. Under standardized estimate (β) sequence, hope, optimism and general self-efficacy significantly associated with depression, respectively; hope and optimism were also significant individual predictors of anxiety.ConclusionsThe high prevalence of depression and anxiety among cervical cancer patients should receive more attention in Chinese medical settings. More importantly, efforts to develop the integrated psychosocial interventions are effective and necessary to alleviate depression/anxiety in cervical cancer patients by synthesizing and integrating the individual protective effects of hope, optimism and general self-efficacy.

An Original Research about: The Associations of Depression and Fatigue with Quality of Life among Palestinian Patients with Cancer

“…According to Brown and associates [41] 44% of their sample of patients with cancer reported severe level of depression, while Pud [40] found that depression incidence among Israeli patients with cancer was 38% [40]. Previous studies have also found that the majority of their sample of patients with cancer had moderate to severe depression that corresponds with the findings in this study [19,42]. Fatigue is also experienced by many patients with cancer.…”

The German Version of the Herth Hope Index (HHI-D): Development and Psychometric Properties

“…Previous studies have shown an association of low levels of hope with higher scores for depression [19,20,21,24]. Hope should be positively correlated with optimism and negatively correlated with pessimism in the LOT-R [7,25]. For divergent validity (low associations with diverging constructs), correlations were calculated with the Dealing with Illness Inventory German Version (DWI-G [26]).…”

“…Loss of hope goes along with lower functioning in both physical and psychological domains [2,3,4,5]. Although a lack of hope is associated with depression and anxiety [6,7] hope as a multidimensional concept represents more than the absence of clinically relevant depressive and/or anxious symptoms. In a survey among oncologists, 58% declared ‘being honest but not taking away hope' a major difficulty when discussing bad news with their patients [8].…”

Combined and Relative Effect Levels of Perceived Risk, Knowledge, Optimism, Pessimism, and Social Trust on Anxiety among Inhabitants Concerning Living on Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil

“…Anxiety is an unpleasant emotional state characterized by tension, worry, fear, and unease [4]. Untreated and prolonged anxiety often translates into physiological stress with a wide range of effects on health and well-being [5,6]. Anxiety has detrimental effects on many aspects of immune system functioning, including viral reactivation through downregulating T-cell responses to viruses (e.g., Epstein–Barr, herpes simplex, cytomegalovirus).…”

“…It may also increase inflammatory system sensitivity, including increased production of interleukin. In addition, anxiety may have aggravate physical symptoms (pain and fatigue), as well as interfere with one’s quality of life [5,6]. …”