Psychiatric morbidity in outpatients of gynecological oncology clinic in a tertiary care hospital

Indian J Psychiatry. 2010 Oct;52(4):327-32. doi: 10.4103/0019-5545.74307.

Abstract

Background: Psychiatric morbidity in gynecological oncology patients is relatively less studied.

Aims: This cross-sectional observational study was undertaken to assess the common psychiatric disorders in women who consult the gynecological oncology outpatients' department.

Materials and methods: We assessed a total of 101 outpatients who were recruited by convenience method of sampling. The main outcome measures were PRIME-MD PHQ diagnoses, gynecological and sociodemographic profiles.

Results: Psychiatric disorders as detected by PRIME -MD PHQ were diagnosed in 44% of the patients. Mood disorders were most common. Major depression was present in 25.7% of patients. Anxiety disorders were diagnosed in 16.8% of the patients. Among 44 patients with a psychiatric diagnosis only one patient was on psychiatric treatment. Major depression was much more common (34.4%) in cancer patients than in women with benign conditions (16.6%).

Conclusion: The findings of our study reveal a high rate of psychiatric morbidity in the gynecological oncology outpatients.

Keywords: Anxiety; depression; gynecological cancer.