title: Prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among cancer patients - hospital-based, cross-sectional survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the prevalence of Psychiatric disorders in cancer patients and to find out the factors associated with Psychiatric disorders in Cancer Patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Radiotherapy, Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, cross sectional survey design was used.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult patients (18 years of age and above), having a diagnosis of carcinoma were selected by consecutive sampling method.A questionnaire which included back ground data, socio economic variables, treatment variables like type of malignancy, exposure to radiation & chemotherapy prior to the evaluation and current treatment, co occurring medical illness & treatment and past & family history of psychiatric illness was used to collect data. Delirium rating scale and MINI International neuropsychiatric interview were used to assess Psychiatric disorders and delirium.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chi square and logistics regression tests were used for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 384 assessed, 160(41.7%) had psychiatric disorders. Adjustment disorders were seen in 22.6%. 10.9% of subjects had major depressive disorder. Thus a total of 33.5% of patients had a diagnosis of either anxiety or depressive disorder. Proportion of patients having delirium was 6.5%. Hypomania was seen in small (1.6%) of patients. Multivariate analysis for various parameters for psychiatric disorders showed that age, past history of chemotherapy, past history of radiotherapy, & surgical treatment of carcinomas are significant predictors of psychiatric disorders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychiatric disorders are seen in a significant proportion of Psychiatric patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Mohan Roy
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gopalan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Vidhukumar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Karunakaran
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prabhakaran
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiotherapy, Government Medical College, Trivandrum, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Krishnannair Lalithamma
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Jayakumar
keywords: Adjustment disorders; cancer; delirium; depression; mood disorders