Are anxiety and depressed mood related to physical symptom burden? A study in hospitalized advanced cancer patients.
BACKGROUND
Anxiety and depressed mood are common symptoms in hospitalized advanced cancer patients. It is often presumed that anxiety and depression affect the occurrence and experience of physical symptoms.


OBJECTIVE
To analyse the relation between anxiety, depressed mood and the presence and intensity of physical symptoms.


METHODS
Anxiety and depressed mood were assessed in a hospitalized advanced cancer population (n = 79) primarily by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and also by a single-item question ;Are you anxious and/or depressed?' and by the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS). Physical symptoms were assessed by a semi-structured interview and by the ESAS.


RESULTS
Thirty-four percent of the patients reported anxiety, 56% depressed mood and 29% both, as assessed by the HADS. The correlations between HADS, the single-item question and the ESAS were low. No association was found between anxiety or depressed mood and the presence of physical symptoms. Patients who were anxious or depressed had higher ESAS scores for insomnia and drowsiness; scores for pain, anorexia, asthenia, nausea and dyspnea were independent of anxiety and/or depressed mood.


CONCLUSIONS
The relationship between anxiety, depressed mood and the presence and intensity of physical symptoms in hospitalized advanced cancer patients is very limited.
Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
S C C M
SC
Teunissen
A
A
de Graeff
E E
EE
Voest
J C J M
JC
de Haes
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D013727:Terminal Care; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology*