Symptoms of depression and anxiety in cancer outpatients: predictive variables / Síntomas de depresión y ansiedad en pacientes con cáncer: variables predictivas
The sample was composed by 220 individuals, 138 (62.7%) women and 82 (37.3%) men. The instruments used were Questionnaire on sociodemographic and clinical data; NEO-FFI Personality Inventory Revised (NEO-FFI-R) and HospitalAnxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The t test and the Spearman correlation were used to verify the relation between sociodemographic and clinic variables and symptoms of anxiety and depression. A Multiple Linear Regressionanalysis was made to verify the predictive power of sociodemographic and clinic variables and personality factors.
Depression and anxiety symptoms are associated with some sociodemographic variables and personality factors, and these variables can be deemed risk factors for the development of these symptoms. It is important that health professionals who follow-up this population design strategies to collect this information, in order to help patients manage treatment the best way possible