Evaluation of Psychological Distress in Patients Undergoing Cancer Treatment in an Oncology Department During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective: Patients with cancer have an increased risk of severe coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) because their immune systems are suppressed due to cancer treatments or cancer itself. Therefore, patients with cancer are prone to COVID-19 infection. In this study, we evaluated the anxiety of patients receiving cancer treatment in our oncology department during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study consisted of 220 patients receiving cancer treatment in the medical oncology clinic of our hospital between 01 and 30 April 2020. Study data were obtained using a questionnaire consisting of 26 questions. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to determine the patients’ psychological distress. The scale results were compared with the results of Kruskal-Wal- lis, Mann-Whitney U, and chi-square tests. Results: We observed that 80 (36.4%) and 40 (18.2%) of the 220 patients studied had risks of de¬pression and anxiety, respectively. In this study, 46.4% of the patients believed that their illness was being negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and 45.5% of the patients worried that their treatment would be interrupted during this period. Conclusion: Our results suggest that patients with cancer need more psychosocial support than do the general population during this pandemic period. These needs should be con¬sidered while planning oncological health services, and appropriate arrangements should be made.