A cross-sectional gender-sensitive analysis of depressive symptoms in patients with advanced cancer.

BACKGROUND: Patients with advanced cancer commonly report depressive symptoms. Examinations of gender differences in depressive symptoms in patients with advanced cancer have yielded inconsistent findings. AIM: The objective of this study was to investigate whether the severity and correlates of depressive symptoms differ by gender in patients with advanced cancer. DESIGN: Participants completed measures assessing sociodemographic and medical characteristics, disease burden, and psychosocial factors. Depressive symptoms were examined using the Patient Health Questionnaire, and other measures included physical functioning, symptom burden, general anxiety, death related distress, and dimensions of demoralization. A cross-sectional analysis examined the univariate and multivariate relationships between gender and depressive symptoms, while controlling for important covariates in multivariate analyses. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Patients with advanced cancer (N = 305, 40% males and 60% females) were recruited for a psychotherapy trial from outpatient oncology clinics at a comprehensive cancer center in Canada. RESULTS: Severity of depressive symptoms was similar for males (M = 7.09, SD = 4.59) and females (M = 7.66, SD = 5.01), t(303) = 1.01, p = 0.314. Greater general anxiety and number of cancer symptoms were associated with depressive symptoms in both males and females. Feeling like a failure (ß = 0.192), less death anxiety (ß = -0.188), severity of cancer symptoms (ß = 0.166), and older age (ß = 0.161) were associated with depressive symptoms only in males, while disheartenment (ß = 0.216) and worse physical functioning (ß = 0.275), were associated with depressive symptoms only in females. CONCLUSIONS: Males and females report similar levels of depressive symptoms but the pathways to depression may differ by gender. These differences suggest the potential for gender-based preventive and therapeutic interventions in this population.

The impact of attachment security on death preparation in advanced cancer: The role of couple communication.

OBJECTIVE: Attachment security protects psychological well-being in patients with advanced cancer, but its effect on death preparation in this population has not been demonstrated. We examined the relationship of attachment security to death preparation in advanced cancer and tested whether couple communication mediates this relationship and whether gender and age moderate this mediating effect, using longitudinal data from a psychotherapy trial. METHODS: Patients with advanced cancer who lived with a partner (Nbaseline = 289) completed measures of attachment security (attachment avoidance, attachment anxiety), couple communication, and death preparation (preparation for end of life, life completion) and attendant health involvement (relationship with healthcare provider). A moderated mediation model was evaluated at each time period (baseline, 3 months, and 6 months). RESULTS: Couple communication mediated the relationship of attachment security to preparation for end of life and life completion (b's = -.06 to -.10). Anxiety × Gender effects on baseline couple communication (P's = .016) indicated that women with greater attachment anxiety reported worse communication than their male counterparts. Couple-communication × Gender × Age effects on baseline preparation for end of life (P = .007-.020) suggested that women showed better preparation with better couple communication. Younger patients reported less preparation than older patients, especially with poorer communication, but their preparation increased with better communication, especially in younger men. CONCLUSIONS: Attachment security supports death preparation in advanced cancer partly through better couple communication. Couple-based psychotherapeutic interventions, especially for younger individuals and women with attachment anxiety, may facilitate constructive conversations and death preparation.