Anxiety and Depression in Patients with Prostate Cancer, at Cancer Diagnosis and after a One-Year Follow-Up

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jul 26;19(15):9122. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19159122.

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most prevalent among men, and psychological symptoms may affect many patients. This study aims to describe the prevalence of probable anxiety and depression before PCa treatments and after one year and to identify sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with these outcomes. Between February 2018 and March 2020, 292 patients recently diagnosed with PCa were recruited at the Instituto Português de Oncologia-Porto. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to define probable anxiety and depression (cutoff = 11). The prevalence of probable anxiety remained stable from baseline to one year (7.8% vs. 8.5%, p = 0.866) while there was an increase in probable depression (3.1% vs. 6.8%, p = 0.012). After one year, probable depression persisted in 55.6% of patients with probable depression at baseline and 47.8% of those with probable anxiety at the first assessment had normal anxiety scores. At baseline, anxiety was more frequent among dwellers in rural areas (adjusted odds ratio-aOR, 95%CI: 2.80, 0.91-8.58) and less frequent in patients with body mass index 25-29.9 kg/m2 (aOR, 95%CI: 0.33, 0.12-0.91) compared to 18.5-24.9 Kg/m2, while those living alone had higher odds of depression (aOR, 95%CI: 6.35, 1.43-28.30). The frequency of anxiety and depression fluctuated during the course of treatment. Monitoring these symptoms would identify the most affected patients, contributing for a better use of mental health services.

Keywords: anxiety; depression; prevalence; prospective study; prostate cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anxiety / psychology
  • Anxiety Disorders
  • Depression* / psychology
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Prevalence
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / epidemiology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms* / psychology

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the European Regional Development Fund through the Operational Program Competitiveness and Internationalization, and national funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology—FCT (Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education) under the project “NEON-PC—Neuro-oncological complications of prostate cancer: longitudinal study of cognitive decline” (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-032358; Ref. PTDC/SAU-EPI/32358/2017), and the Unidade de Investigação em Epidemiologia—Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto (EPIUnit, UIDB/04750/2020; ITR, LA/P/0064/2020) financed by national funds from FCT. AC, CL, and SM were funded under the scope of the project “NEON-PC—Neuro-oncological complications of prostate cancer: longitudinal study of cognitive decline” (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-032358; Ref. PTDC/SAU-EPI/32358/2017). SM also received funding under EPIUnit—Junior Research—Prog Financing (UIDP/04750/2020). An individual PhD grant attributed to NA (SFRH/BD/119390/2016) was funded by FCT and the “Programa Operacional Capital Humano” (POCH/FSE).