The psychological profile of female cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy: A preliminary study

Abstract

Although the prevalence and the risk factors of emotional distress among cancer patients are well documented, less is known in Saudi Arabia about such issue. The current study explores and describes that emotional distress symptom in diagnosed cancer patients during their radiation therapy. A total of 40 cancer patients, recruited from the largest oncology centre in Saudi Arabia, completed the study's questionnaire, which included the HADS and the fatigue symptom inventory. Among cancer survivors, the prevalence of depression was 60%, anxiety was 37.5%, and fatigue was 77.5%. Emotional distress, having any of the previous symptoms, was reported among 82% of the patients. Hierarchical regression analyses show having previous chemotherapy experiences and other predictors contributed modestly to variance in depression and fatigue models, compared to the predictor variable of having experiences with complementary intervention, which contributed significantly. Complementary intervention was the top predictor variable contributing to explaining emotional distress as a model. This concurrent result may be helpful in developing clinical guideline strategies for psycho-oncology care to bridge the gap between the universal standard and the reality of health services.