Evaluating the Anxiety and Depression Status of Prostate Cancer Patients
whose Operations were Postponed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Abstract
Aim: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the anxiety and depression
status of prostate cancer (PCa) patients whose planned operations in the
urology clinic of our hospital, which is serving as a pandemic hospital
in Turkey have been postponed due to the coronavirus disease 2019
pandemic. Methods: This survey study was conducted at urology clinic of
Ankara City Hospital between March 1 and June 1, 2020 and included 24
male patients who agreed to answer the questionnaires (State-Trait
Anxiety Inventory [STAI] I and II and Beck Depression Inventory
[BDI]). Demographical and clinical data (age, time since diagnosis,
total serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, risk groups
according to the D’Amico classification system, smoking, alcohol
habitus, major surgical history, and comorbidities) of the patients were
collected from hospital software. Results: The mean STAI-I score of the
patients (46.7 ± 1.4 [44–49]) was significantly higher than their
STAI-II score (41.7 ± 2.4 [39–47]) (p < 0.001). The
negative correlation between the decrease in age and STAI-I score was
found to be statistically significant (r = 0.439, p < 0.05).
The mean BDI score of the patients was 4.3 ± 3.2 (0–13), which was
compatible with mild depression. There was no statistically significant
difference between the time elapsed from diagnosis, PSA levels, smoking
and alcohol habitus, major surgical history and comorbidity status, and
STAI-I, STAI-II, and BDI scores (p > 0.05). Conclusion:
Prostate cancer patients with postponed operations should be guided
properly in order to manage their anxiety status especially young
patients.