Dados do Trabalho

Título

THE INFLUENCE OF CANCER TREATMENT ON DEPRESSION, ANXIETY AND SPIRITUALITY LEVELS: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY.

Introdução

Anxiety and depression are the most common psychiatric comorbidities and are highly prevalent in cancer patients. The treatment of cancer can be a cause and aggravating factor of these pathologies, while spirituality can be a tool to face adverse situations like these.

Objetivo

The aim of this study is to assess the variation in levels of anxiety, depression and spirituality during cancer treatment, as well as their associations.

Método

Prospective cohort study. To assess spirituality, the World Health Organization of spirituality, religiosity and personal beliefs (SRPB-WHO) questionnaire was applied. To assess the levels of depression and anxiety, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was applied. Patients were approached before the first consultation, and with 3 months of treatment. Qualitative variables were described by frequency and percentage, and quantitative variables by mean and standard deviation. Univariate analysis was performed using the T or Wilcoxon test and correlations using the Pearson or Spearman test, depending on the normality assessed by the Shapiro-Wilk test. Multivariate analysis was performed using the Stepwise-Regression method, with inclusion criteria p <0.2 and statistical significance p <0.05. Study approved by the Research Ethics Committee CAAE 30524220.5.0000.0082.

Resultado

45 patients were included in the first cancer consultation. After 3 months of treatment, 21 patients were reevaluated. There was a reduction in spirituality levels over 3 months (p = 0.018). There was no difference in the levels of depression and anxiety. When evaluating the factors related to the reduction of spirituality levels, an inverse correlation was observed with the levels of depression and anxiety (cor: -0.607, p = 0.003). The other factors did not show statistical significance.

Conclusão

Over the 3 months of cancer treatment, a reduction in spirituality levels was observed. This variation was negatively correlated with the levels of depression and anxiety, that is, where the reduction in spirituality was greater, the increase in psychiatric comorbidities followed the trend. These are important factors to be evaluated during the treatment of these patients. Spirituality levels decreased during cancer treatment.

Palavras-chave

Anxiety; Depression; Neoplasms