Anxiety and depression among Tibetan inpatients with cancer: a multicenter investigation.

BACKGROUND

The Tibetan population is minority in southwest China, and data on the psychological states of Tibetan cancer inpatients are not available. The study participants included Tibetan and Han cancer inpatients, and their depression and anxiety were investigated and analyzed to understand the psychological states of Tibetan cancer patients. The aim of the present study was to understand the incidence of depression and anxiety among Tibetan cancer inpatients, and the factors affecting their depression and anxiety.

METHODS

We used questionnaires to investigate the anxiety and depression of Tibetan and Han cancer inpatients. The questionnaires included the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, and a general information questionnaire.

RESULTS

The results showed that there were 61 cases (53%) of depression and 43 (37.4%) of anxiety among Tibetan cancer inpatients, and 27 cases (23.5%) and 16 (13.9%) among Han cancer patients. The major factors affecting depression among Tibetan cancer patients were permanent address and type and stage of cancer; the major factors affecting anxiety among Tibetan cancer patients were education level and type and stage of cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of depression and anxiety among Tibetan cancer inpatients was significantly greater than that of Han cancer inpatients. The major factors affecting the incidence of depression and anxiety were permanent address, education level, and type and stage of cancer. We suggest that further research should be directed at mental health problems among Tibetan cancer patients in order to determine the best possible psychological interventions.