Anxiety And Depression As Reaction To Distress And Ptsd Among Cancer Patients

Purpose To explore relationship between untreated psycho- social distress and return to work among cancer patients in the first year after diagnosis. Methods This longitudinal study was conducted in family practice among 174 cancer (out) patients in the first year after diagnosis from 2011 to 2016. Psycho- social distress screen of each individual case with questionnaire HADS, and the total sample was divided into 3 groups during the evaluation. A key factor in the creation of the groups was the time elapsed from the moment of confirmation of the diagnosis: T1, 1-14 days, n = 56 patients, the first group; T2, 15 days- 6 months, n = 79 patients; the second group; and T3, 7-12 months n = 39 patients, the third group. Results The prevalence rate of distress was very high: 70% in the first 14 days, 66% from 15 days to 6 months and 100% from 7 to 12 months after diagnosis. Conclusion Untreated anxiety and depression symptoms are common problems in cancer patients from the first day since cancer diagnosis and programs that routinely screen anxiety and depression among cancer patients are feasible.