Anxiety, depression and quality of life in people with pancreatic cancer and their carers.
BACKGROUND
People with pancreatic cancer have high levels of anxiety and depression and reduced quality of life (QoL), but few studies have assessed these outcomes for patient-carer dyads. We therefore investigated these issues in an Australian population-based study.


METHODS
Patients with pancreatic cancer (n = 136) and many of their carers (n = 84) completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy QoL questionnaire at a median of three months after diagnosis. Overall QoL and well-being subscales (physical, social, emotional, functional) were compared with general population norms. Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to compare anxiety, depression and QoL scores of patients and their respective carers.


RESULTS
Fifteen percent of patients and 39% of carers had HADS scores indicative of anxiety and 15% of patients and 14% of carers of depression, respectively. Overall, 70% of patients and 58% of carers had QoL scores below the Queensland population average. Patients' anxiety, depression, overall QoL, social, emotional and functional wellbeing scores were significantly related to those scores in their carers. Among patients and carers, accessing psychological help was associated with elevated anxiety. Not receiving chemotherapy was associated with elevated depression among patients and younger age was associated with poorer outcomes in carers.


CONCLUSIONS
More carers had symptoms of anxiety than patients with pancreatic cancer, but symptoms of depression were similarly common in patients and carers. Further research is needed to assess whether interventions to reduce patients' distress could also improve QoL among carers, or whether carer-focussed interventions are required.
Institute for Health and Biomedical Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
Monika
M
Janda
Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
Rachel E
RE
Neale
Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.
Kerenaftali
K
Klein
Cancer Research Division, Cancer Council NSW, Sydney, Australia.
Dianne L
DL
O'Connell
Cancer Nursing Research Unit, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Helen
H
Gooden
University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Department of Medical Oncology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
David
D
Goldstein
South Western Sydney Upper GI Surgical Unit, Bankstown Hospital, Sydney, Australia; Discipline of Surgery, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Neil D
ND
Merrett
Department of Medical Oncology, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia; School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
David K
DK
Wyld
School of Public Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Ingrid J
IJ
Rowlands
Population Health Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: Vanessa.Beesley@qimrberghofer.edu.au.
Vanessa L
VL
Beesley
D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D001315:Australia; D017028:Caregivers; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life
Anxiety; Carers; Depression; Pancreatic neoplasms; Patients; Quality of life