Adult oncology and chronically ill patients: comparison of depression, anxiety and caregivers' quality of life.

A diagnosis of cancer can be devastating for patients and their loved ones. We compared the intensity of anxiety and depression for 30 terminally ill cancer patients and 30 chronically ill patients and the quality of life of their most attendant caregivers. Hamilton depression and anxiety scales were used with the patients and the quality of life scale (family) was used with the caregivers. Cancer patients and their caregivers had significantly higher scores on these scales and suffered more from depression and anxiety than chronically ill patients and caregivers. Cancer patient caregivers also had poorer quality of life than did caregivers of the chronically ill.