PSYCHIATRIC MORBIDITY AMONG LUNG & BLOOD CANCER PATIENTS

Psychiatric Morbidity

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the relationship of psychological well-being with depression in cancer patients.
Study Design: This was a prospective study using purposive convenient sampling technique.
Place and Duration of the study: The study was carried out in the Combined Military Hospital, Rawalpindi and the National Oncology radiology Institute (NORI) Islamabad from 2003 to 2004.
Patients and Methods: Forty-eight cancer patients were assessed using Beck Depression Inventory for assessing depressive symptoms and Affectometer-2. The patients were taken from two hospitals located in Rawalpindi and Islamabad from 2003-2004.
Results: The findings indicate a significantly high negative relationship between depression and psychological well being and the level of depression in these two types of cancer patients. Blood cancer patients were found high on depression and low on psychological well being than the lung cancer patients. Women and the young individuals scored high on depression and low on psychological well being as compared to men and elderly cancer patients respectively.
Conclusion: The findings of the present research support that depression has great influence on the psychological well being of cancer patients.