Prevalence of depression and anxiety among adult patients undergoing chemotherapy in Khartoum, Sudan: A cross-sectional study

Background: People with chronic terminal illnesses are at increased risk for experiencing anxiety and depression. Evidence from experimental studies suggest psychological stress can increase a tumour's ability to grow and metastasize, worsening the prognosis. Prevalence rate of cancer in Sudan is 5000 to 7000 per year. Cancer management focuses more on physical treatment rather than comprehensive care. With the great taboo placed on mental illness among Sudanese, many patients with cancer are predicted to be suffering in silence. Aim: To identify the prevalence of depression and anxiety and related sociodemographic factors among patients undergoing chemotherapy at Burj Alamal Hospital, Khartoum, Sudan. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional, hospital based study was conducted among patients undergoing chemotherapy at Burj Alamal Hospital. Two hundred and fifty-five patients were recruited through random sampling. An interview-administered questionnaire containing sociodemographic data and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), translated and validated into the local Arabic language, was employed. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23. Results: The prevalence of depression and anxiety was 41.2% and 26.7%, respectively. Depression was significantly associated with duration of cancer (p = 0.031) and anxiety (p = 0.000). Anxiety was significantly associated with number of chemotherapy sessions (p = 0.045) and depression. No significant associations were found with sociodemographic data. Limitations: Due to the lack of accessibility to patient's records, the patient's cancer staging and concomitant use of radiotherapy was not considered. Conclusion: Depression and anxiety is frequent among patients undergoing chemotherapy and can be influenced by duration of cancer diagnosis and number of chemotherapy sessions respectively