title: Association between cancer stigma and depression among cancer survivors: a nationwide survey in Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cancer patients are more likely to experience depression than the general population. This study aims to evaluate the possible association between cancer stigma and depression among cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  As a part of the Korean government's program to develop comprehensive supportive care, we conducted a nationwide survey in 2010 at the National Cancer Center and in nine regional cancer centers across Korea. Cancer stigma was assessed by using a set of 12 questions grouped in three domains-impossibility of recovery, stereotypes of cancer patients, and experience of social discrimination. Depression was measured by using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 466 cancer patients were included in the study. Over 30% of the cancer survivors had negative attitudes toward cancer and held stereotypical views of themselves: about 10% of the participants experienced social discrimination due to cancer, and 24.5% reported clinically significant depressive symptoms. Patients who had or experienced cancer stigma were 2.5 times more likely to have depression than patients with positive attitudes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regardless of highly developed medical science and increased survivorship, cancer survivors had cancer stigmas, and it was significantly associated with depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings emphasize the need for medical societies and health professionals to pay more attention to cancer stigma that patients are likely to experience during treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Science and Technology, School of Medicine & SAHIST, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea.|Cancer Education Center, Samsung Comprehensive Cancer Center, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.|Departments of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.|Departments of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Juhee
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Cancer Education Center, Samsung Comprehensive Cancer Center, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Policy and Management, National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: So Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.|Cancer Survivorship Clinic, Seoul National University Cancer Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Wook
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Be-Long
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Cancer Management, Busan Regional Cancer Center, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-hoon
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Jeonbuk Regional Cancer Center, Jeonju-si, Korea.
authors.forename: Dai Ha
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.affiliation: Departments of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Eliseo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guallar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Wayne A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Bardwell
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Policy and Management, National Cancer Control Institute, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea.
authors.forename: Jong Hyock
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011287:Prejudice / Q000523:psychology*; D056910:Republic of Korea; D057545:Social Stigma; D013240:Stereotyping; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cancer; depression; oncology; psychological distress; stigma