TY  - BOOK
AU  -  Runyoro, Jacqueline 
AU  -   Matiko Mwita 
AU  - Maria Zinga
TI  -   Prevalence of Depression Among Patients Attending for Cancer Treatment at Bugando Medical Centre
PY  - 0000///  ©11.072019///
CY  - Mwanza, Tanzania: 
PB  - Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences [CUHAS - Bugando] , Phone: +255 28 298 3384,           Fax: +255 28 298 3386 : ,         Email: vc@bugando.ac.tz, Website: www.bugando.ac.tz
KW  -  
N2  - Abstract: 

Background: Depression is an important global-health issue. The existence of having depression with another chronic illness has a more co-morbid state than having depression alone or having a combination of chronic illness without depression. Among patients diagnosed with cancer, clinical depression is relatively a common cause of their suffering and yet it is being overlooked most of the time. 

Method: This was a cross-sectional study which took place from October, 2018 to March, 2019. A random sample of 350 cancer patients at the BMC Oncology Department enrolled. An interview method was used where the participants were asked to fill a socio-demographic questionnaire and depressive symptoms were measured using the HADS-D which had a total of 21 points. A score of greater than 7 was considered to be having depression. 

Results: A total of 350 participants were enrolled in this study. There were 271 (77.4%) female patients and 79 (22.6%) male patients. The prevalence of depression was found to be 48% where 17.4% of them were found to be having mild depression and 30.6% were having moderate to severe depression. 

Conclusion: There is high prevalence of depression among patients with cancer attending BMC oncology department. Interventions should be made to focus on treating the patient as a whole, managing the cancer and screening for and managing depression as well.

ER  -