Psychological problems in men experiencing cancer

the Oncology Nurse Advisor take:

According to new research presented at the Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society's Division of Clinical Psychology in Glasgow, Scotland, researchers from the University of St Andrews in St Andrews, Scotland, have identified markers for vulnerability to psychological issues in men with cancer.

For the study, researchers enrolled 127 men aged 18 years and older with cancer between April 2009 and April 2011. Researchers assessed the participants for anxiety, demographic factors, depression, and social support. The data for cancer patients was then compared to the Scottish Longitudinal Study to ensure that the sample was representative of men with cancer.

Results showed that participants who were separated or divorced had decreased social support and more depression.

In addition, younger participants had higher anxiety and distress. Residing in an area of higher deprivation also resulted in increased anxiety and depression. Furthermore, social support was identified as a key indicator for psychological health.

The findings suggest that men with cancer who lack social support are more vulnerable to depression. The researchers note that more further studies are warranted to confirm these results, but this study begins to fill a gap in this area of the literature.