Depression and hopelessness in Turkish patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to determine the levels of depression and hopelessness of patients receiving chemotherapy. Through knowledge of the levels of hopelessness and depression in such patients, this study could contribute to the planning of nursing interventions.


METHODS
The study involved 101 patients with cancer who presented to the outpatient unit of a medical oncology clinic to receive outpatient chemotherapy between January and March 2006. Data on the patients' sociodemographic features, as well as their scores on the Beck Hopelessness Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory, were obtained.


RESULTS
The patients' mean total depression score was 16.0 +/- 8.3 and their mean hopelessness score was 6.9 +/- 3.4. There was a statistically significant positive relationship between depression and hopelessness.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicated that depression and hopelessness were strongly and positively correlated.
Arslan
Sevban
S
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey. sevban_adana@hotmail.com
Celebioglu
Ayda
A
Tezel
Ayfer
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009013:Morale; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology