Factors Associated with Depression in Cancer Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Shahid Beheshti Hospital

Abstract Aims: Quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic was an important factor in developing depression in cancer patients. Early diagnosing of depression in these patients is a health priority for the medical staff. For this reason, we intend to conduct a study to investigate depression in patients of the oncology department of Shahid Beheshti Hospital during the Corona pandemic in 2022. Methods: Participants were 291 cancer patients admitted to Shahid Beheshti Hospital and Imam Khomeini oncology department. Inclusion criteria included patients' physical and mental ability to answer questions, literacy, at least 6 months of illness, awareness of their diagnosis, and no history of adverse events in the last month. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and a depression questionnaire. All the analyses of this research were done using SPSS version 24 software. Findings: About 39% of patients suffered from moderate depression and 30% from severe depression. A significant relationship was found between depression and education and marital status. Also, there is a significant linear relationship between depression and age, age of onset of illness, duration of illness, and duration of chemotherapy. According to the results, a statistically significant relationship was found between depression and education, marital status, and the duration of the disease (P<0.05). Conclusion: Most cancer patients suffer from moderate to severe depression. Since there is a relationship between depression, the duration of the disease, and the duration of chemotherapy, it is recommended to periodically check these patients for depression.

Factors Associated with Depression in Cancer Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Shahid Beheshti Hospital Keywords:

Depression , cancer , coronaviruses