Determining the Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Depression, Anxiety and Stress Levels in Cancer Patients

Year 2024, Volume: 14 Issue: 3, 231 - 241, 31.12.2024

Neriman Yükseltürk Şimşek , Ayten Demir

Abstract

Aim: This study aims to determine the level of anxiety, depression and stress symptoms in patients receiving cancer treatment and monitoring during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among patients who applied to the oncology outpatient clinic between June 15 and July 15, 2021, and met the inclusion criteria. The impact of COVID-19 and its association with patient descriptive characteristics were examined using a 13-question survey. The relationship with stress, anxiety, and depression was evaluated using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Number, percentage, chi-square, and independent samples t-tests were performed in the statistical analysis stage of the study.
Results: It was observed that most of the individuals who participated in the study were between 44 and 56 years old, and there was no statistically significant relationship between their gender, employment status, change in the treatment plan, difficulty in getting to the hospital, disease stage and whether they received active treatment (p>0.05). It was determined that patients who were afraid of contracting COVID-19 from hospital staff during the outbreak (68.60%) said that their treatment plan had changed due to COVID-19 (58.97%) did not receive active treatment. It was observed that there was no statistically significant difference in the anxiety, depression and stress symptom levels of individuals receiving active treatment according to demographic characteristics (p>0.05).
Conclusion: During the coronavirus pandemic, individuals who were anxious about the progression of the disease were found to have higher levels of anxiety, depression and stress. Based on this information, it is recommended that patients’ perspectives be included in treatment guidelines for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

cancer, COVID-19, anxiety, depression; stress

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