title: Locus of control and distressing symptoms in young cancer patients when assessing depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the current study was to evaluate the correlation between depression, sense of control (internal and external) and cancer-related distressing symptoms in younger patients (<65 years) with locally advanced or metastatic cancer, and to investigate their potential predictive role when screening for depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  70 patients completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Cancer Locus of Control Scale, the Linear Analogue System Assessment (LASA) (for Quality of Life/ QoL) and the M.D. Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI). Distressing symptoms, QoL, and locus of control (LOC) were correlated with the presence of depression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total BDI score was suggestive of depression. In univariate analysis significant correlations were found between the presence of depression and poor QoL, low Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status and 'sense of control over the course of cancer' (p<0.0005). Depression was significantly correlated with pain, distress and poor general activity, overall enjoyment of life and relationships (p=0.004), as well as anxiety, fatigue, anorexia, dyspnoea and sleep disturbances (p=0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that poor QoL and 'sense of control over the course of cancer', as well as anxiety, fatigue, anorexia, dyspnoea and sleep disturbances were significantly correlated with depression (p<0.0005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that younger cancer patients' poor QoL, 'sense of control over the course of cancer', as well as anxiety, fatigue, anorexia, dyspnoea and sleep disturbances are significantly correlated with the presence of depression and can eventually represent potential screening predictors.
authors.affiliation: Pain Relief and Palliative Care Unit, Department of Radiology, "Areteion" Hospital, School of Medicine, Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Panagiotou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsilika
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Parpa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Patiraki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zygogianni
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kouloulias
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mystakidou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life