Relationships Between Fatigue and Depression with Quality of Life in Patients with Lung Cancer

Year 2025, Volume: 12 Issue: 2, 109 - 121, 17.07.2025

Canan Bozkurt , Hülya Bulut , Emre Çiydem

https://doi.org/10.31125/globnursinsights.1743931

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between fatigue, depression, and quality of life in patients with lung cancer.
Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study sample consisted of 510 lung cancer patients hospitalized in Pulmonology clinics between January and April 2024. The Patient Information Form, the Hirai Cancer Fatigue Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 were used to collect the data. Univariate and multivariate generalized linear regression analyses were used to analyze the data.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 56.12±11.17 years, and 77.5% were male. The mean scores of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 subscales were 13.37±14.24 for general health, 29.74±11.97 for functional status, and 68.63±12.48 for symptoms. An increase in depression levels was associated with a decrease in all areas of quality of life (p<0.001). An increase in fatigue levels was associated with a decrease in all areas of quality of life except for social functioning (p<0.001). Marital status, smoking, and having children were found to be variables associated with various dimensions of quality of life (p<0.05).
Conclusions: it’s thought that nursing interventions aimed at reducing fatigue and depression in lung cancer patients will improve their quality of life.
Implication for nursing practice/management or policy: Nurses should incorporate regular assessments of fatigue and depression into care plans for lung cancer patients. Targeted interventions can help improve patients' quality of life and should be supported through nursing training and care protocols.

Keywords

Depression , Fatigue , Lung cancer , Oncology nursing , Quality of life

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