Cancer-Related Stigma and Depression in Cancer Patients in A Middle-Income Country

Medine Yılmaz; Gulcin Dissiz; Ayse Kurtulusoglu Usluoğlu; Sibel Iriz; Filiz Demir; Ahmet Alacacioglu

doi:10.4103/apjon.apjon_45_19

Cancer-Related Stigma and Depression in Cancer Patients in A Middle-Income Country

Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs. 2019 Oct 23;7(1):95-102. doi: 10.4103/apjon.apjon_45_19. eCollection 2020 Jan-Mar.

Authors

Medine Yılmaz¹, Gulcin Dissiz², Ayse Kurtulusoglu Usluoğlu², Sibel Iriz², Filiz Demir³, Ahmet Alacacioglu²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Izmir Katip Celebi, Izmir, Turkey.
² Medical Oncology Unit, Atatürk Training and Research Hospital, University of Izmir Kâtip Celebi, Izmir, Turkey.
³ Department İzmir Public Association, University of Izmir Kâtip Celebi, Cigli, Izmir, Turkey.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the current study are to determine the depression levels of adult oncology patients in the cancer treatment phase and identify both cancer-related stigma and the factors affecting their depression levels.

Methods: In this correlational study, 303 adult patients who had been treated at a medical outpatient clinic were surveyed using the convenience sampling method. The "questionnaire for measuring attitudes toward cancer - patient version," a sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire, and the beck depression inventory were used. A multivariable linear regression model was used for the analysis.

Results: The questionnaire and its subscale scores indicated a positive relationship between depression and attitudes toward cancer. The predictive variables for depression were "being younger than 40-year-old" and "feelings of social exclusion," which accounted for 4% of the total variance. Four factors indicating negative attitudes toward cancer were "being more than 60-year-old," "higher education," "low income," and "feelings of social exclusion," which accounted for 11% of the total variance.

Conclusions: Cancer-related stigma, which underlies patients' emotional and behavioral outlooks, should be reduced in cancer patients. Members of health teams should be sensitive to cancer-related stigma.

Keywords: Attitude; cancer; depression; stigma.