title: Psychological health in long-term cancer survivorship: an Italian survey on depression and anxiety.
abstract: Since long-term survivorship is now a reality for an increasingly number of people with a history of cancer, understanding their psychological health can inform health care policy as well as help supporting individual patients. This study was aimed to describe depression and anxiety (i.e. two of the most common psychological symptoms reported in oncology) in a sample of Italian long-term cancer survivors (LTCSs) defined as people who have been free from cancer and cancer treatments for at least five years. Four hundred and four Italian adult LTCSs completed a battery of questionnaires including the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale and the State Anxiety sub-scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory respectively for depression and anxiety assessment. 16.5% of the sample displayed mild depression, 11.1% moderate depression, and 7.1% severe depression. depression was negatively associated with education (p = .017), perceived social support as provided by the family (p = .028), and perceived social support provided by friends (p = .008), and it was positively associated with occupational status (p = .023), presence of health issues (p = .010), and anxiety (p < .001). 8.7 and 15.8% of the sample were respectively possible and probable cases of anxiety. Anxiety was negatively associated with occupational status (p = .038) and it was positively associated with depression (p < .001). These data support ongoing assessment and monitoring of depression and anxiety in LTCSs, and stimulate the development and testing of psychological interventions for such individuals. In addition, they encourage further study on the psychological health of this specific population.
authors.affiliation: a Centro di Riferimento Oncologico - National Cancer Institute , Aviano , Italy.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Muzzatti
authors.affiliation: a Centro di Riferimento Oncologico - National Cancer Institute , Aviano , Italy.
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giovannini
authors.affiliation: b Istituto Tumori "G. Paolo II" - National Cancer Institute , Bari , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Romito
authors.affiliation: b Istituto Tumori "G. Paolo II" - National Cancer Institute , Bari , Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cormio
authors.affiliation: c Istituto Tumori "G. Pascale" - National Cancer Institute , Napoli , Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barberio
authors.affiliation: c Istituto Tumori "G. Pascale" - National Cancer Institute , Napoli , Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Abate
authors.affiliation: c Istituto Tumori "G. Pascale" - National Cancer Institute , Napoli , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Falco
authors.affiliation: a Centro di Riferimento Oncologico - National Cancer Institute , Aviano , Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Antonietta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Annunziata
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Anxiety; cancer survivorship; depression; oncology; psychological health