Depressive Symptoms in Cancer Patients Compared with People from the General Population: The Role of Sociodemographic and Medical Factors

This study examined depressive symptoms in 475 patients with cancer and in a reference group of 255 individuals without cancer from the general population and the associations of those symptoms with sociodemographic and medical factors. Depressive symptoms were measured at 3 months (Time 1) and 15 months (Time 2) after diagnosis. Patients reported more depressive symptoms than the reference group did at Times 1 and 2. Younger age, especially, was related to the onset of depressive symptoms after a cancer diagnosis. Better-educated patients and those with a lower stage of disease reported a greater decrease in depressive symptoms over time. The authors conclude that cer- tain sociodemographic factors may primarily reflect general dysfunction or vulnerability rather than risk factors for developing depressive symptoms after a diagnosis of cancer.