Prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity in cancer patients: A hospital-based cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Cancer represents one of the most formidable challenges to global public health, characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation and spread of abnormal cells within the body. As a leading cause of mortality worldwide, cancer accounts for over 12% of global deaths, with projections indicating a steady rise in incidence particularly in developing nations like India. Aims:  To explore the Prevalence of psychiatric comorbidity in cancer patients: Setting and Design: A descriptive analytical cross-sectional Study. Methods and Material: This study was conducted at Pacific Medical College and Hospital, Udaipur from October 2022 to march 2024 (18 month). Result: Our study result shows that largest percentage of participants (32.22%) were between the ages of 45 and 55 when they first started using drugs regularly. The next age groups were 55–65 years old (27.78%)25–35 years old (13.89%), 35–45 years old (15%), and finally, 18–25 years old (11.11%).  approximately 4.44% (n = 8) were found to be illiterate, whereas the maximum number (n = 90) had completed higher secondary education.Major depressive episode (51.11%; n = 92), suicidality; suicidal behaviour disorder (12.22%; n = 22), panic disorder (11.11%; n = 20), social anxiety disorder (8.88%; n= 16), post-traumatic stress disorder (12.22%; n = 22), Any psychological disorder; MDD with psychotic features; BP-I-D/O with psychotic features (3.33%; n = 6), and generalized anxiety disorder (67.77%; n = 122) were the majority of study participants. Conclusion: The study concluded that age, gender demonstrated significant correlations with anxiety and depression measures, other demographic factors such as education level and socioeconomic status did not show significant associations. These findings provide valuable insights into the complex interplay between demographic factors and mental health outcomes among patients.

Keywords: Cancer, Psychiatric Comorbidity, global public health