The risk factors for depression in Lithuanian breast cancer patients

Global depression in breast cancer patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is known as one of the most common diseases among women, the psychological consequences of which are common in women and affect various aspects of their lives, so this study aims to investigate the prevalence of depression among women with breast cancer globally.

METHOD

The present meta-analysis was performed by searching for keywords related to breast cancer and depression in 4 main databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Sciences and Scopus in the period of January 2000 to November 2021 and the results of the study using R and CMA software were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 71 studies were selected in English and the results of the analysis showed that the prevalence of depression in women with breast cancer is 30.2%, with Pakistan having the highest (83%) prevalence of depression and Taiwan having the lowest (8.3%). And in the WHO regions, EMRO region had the highest (49.7%) rate and SEARO region had the lowest (23%) prevalence of depression. Also, with increasing age, the prevalence of depression among women with breast cancer increases.

CONCLUSION

Community and family support for women with breast cancer, holding psychology and psychotherapy courses, lifestyle modifications and training in this area can be effective in preventing the reduction of the prevalence of depression, and given the pivotal role of women in family affairs, this This can be in line with the work of health system policymakers.

Prevalence of major depression and associated correlates in Latvian primary care population: results from the National Research Program BIOMEDICINE 2014-2017

Purpose and aim. In Latvia, the 12-month prevalence of depression in the general population has been estimated at 7.9%, but the data of the National Health Service show that general practitioners (GP's) saw only 3514 unique patients with a diagnosis of mood disorders in 2014. This is the first study conducted at the national level that was aimed to estimate the point and lifetime prevalence of depression and associated factors in primary care settings in Latvia.Materials and methods. This study was conducted at 24 primary care facilities in 2015. During a 1-week period, all consecutive adult patients were invited to complete the study questionnaires. Within a period of 2 weeks, the respondents were interviewed over the phone using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.), Version 6.0.0. A hierarchical multivariate data analysis was performed.Results. The study population consisted of 1485 patients. According to the M.I.N.I., 28.1% (95% CI 25.9-30.4) of the patients had at least one depressive episode in the past, and 10.2% (95% CI 8.7-11.8) had current depression. In the final multivariate analysis model, current major depression was associated with the female gender (OR 2.01), basic or unfinished basic education (OR 1.86), loss of marital ties (OR 1.86), and gastrointestinal (OR 3.46) and oncological (OR 2.26) diseases as a reason for visiting the GP.Conclusions. The prevalence of major depression in primary care is consistent with that in other European countries but is significantly underdiagnosed. Enhanced training in Latvian primary care settings may improve clinical outcomes.

Depression and social support among breast cancer patients in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND

Depression is a common co-morbid, disabling disorder that affects 10-25% of cancer patients. It causes substantial functional impairment and lowers survival rate of breast cancer patients. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the magnitude of depression and its association with social support among breast cancer patients in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study which included 428 breast cancer patients was conducted in seven health facilities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Depression and Social Support were assessed using standard tools Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ 9) and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) respectively. Descriptive statistics were done based on the standard PHQ9 cut off points (0-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19 and ≥ 20). Mann-Whitney and Kruskal Wallis tests were employed to compare MSPSS score among depressed and non-depressed patients and across the different levels of depression. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was done to identify factors associated with depression.

RESULT

The prevalence of depression among breast cancer patients was 25% (107/428), andaccording to the PHQ9 score categorization, 70/428 (16.4%), 30/428 (7.01%) and 7/428 (1.64%) of these patients were having moderate, moderately severe and severe depression respectively. Age, occupation, type of health facility treated, severity of pain, hormonal therapy and having problem with employer/ family were significantly associated with depression. The participants' MSPSS total score was overall found to be high (70.35 ± 16.81). Those women who had moderate and severe depression had lower mean MSPSS scores compared to women with none/ minimal depression (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

This study found that one in four breast cancer patients had depression. Depression is associated with poor social support given by family, friends and significant others. Therefore, screening for depression and psychosocial service should be integrated in the routine breast cancer care in Ethiopia.