Factors Related to Depressive Episode among the Colorectal Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: A Case Study at Oncology Unit, Ramathibodi Hospital

Abstract

Background and Objective: Colorectal cancer is a substantial health problem worldwide. It is also the third most common cancer in Thailand. Patients suffer physical, emotional, and psychosocial stress as well as complications from both diseases and therapies which resulted in depressive episode. This study aimed to identify the relationship between specific factors and depressive episode and to compare depression score between  pre and post chemotherapy.

Methods: This was a survey study of selected 129 colorectal cancer outpatients who received chemotherapy at Ramathibodi hospital since December, 2011 to August, 2013. The demographic data and the emotional questionnaire were collected and analyzed.

Results:  Only three from eleven factors were related to depressive episode at 2, 4, and 6 months of chemotherapy with statistical significance (p<.05). These factors were age, religion, and health coverage scheme with low contingency coefficient (CC) 0.20, 0.21, and 0.24 respectively. Moreover, the depressive score were found to be increased with treatment duration.  There were 24 subjects (16.3%) and 21 subjects (14.3%) that had severe depressive score at 4 and 6 months respectively. 

Conclusions: The only factors related to depressive episode in colorectal patients in this study were age, religion, and health coverage scheme. However, the contingency coefficient was low. Depressive score were increased with treatment duration, despite counselling from health professional.