title: Depressive symptoms and quality of life in home-care-assisted cancer patients.
abstract: To examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and its relationship with quality-of-life domains in home-care cancer patients at an advanced stage of illness, 86 patients were given psychological tests for depression (Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale) (HAD) and quality of life (EORTC-QLQ-C30) 1 week after admission to the home-care program. Using a proper cut-off score on the HAD-Depression subscale, depressive symptoms were reported by 45% of the patients. The quality of life of depressed patients was more affected than non-depressed patients in the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical domains. Significant correlations were found between depression scores and impairment in most quality-of-life areas. These findings support the importance of depression and quality-of-life evaluation in patients with advanced cancer who are followed in a home-care setting. This evaluation is needed to provide patients, their families, and caregivers with appropriate psychosocial interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Grassi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Indelli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marzola
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maestri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Piva
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boccalon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life