A Study on Psychiatric Disorders and Mental Health Service Use Among Spouses of Advanced Cancer Patients

Abstract

Aim & Objective: 1.To study the frequency and nature of psychiatric disorders in spouses of cancer patients. 2.To know the relationship between the perceived psychopathology and quality of life of spouses where one is diagnosed with cancer. Methodology: This is a case control observational clinical study assessing the frequency and nature of psychiatric illness in spouses of cancer patients in comparison with spouses of BPAD patients. Results: In the present study, the most common age group to which the cancer patients and their spouses belonged to was 51-64 years whereas the BPAD patients and their spouses belonged to age group of 31-40 years. Most common diagnosis of the cancer patients (whose spouses are being studied) was head and neck cancer (46%)., In the present study psychiatric morbidity is seen in upto 54% of cancer patient spouses and the similar was observed in BPAD spouses .i.e 53.3%.MDD (major depressive disorder) (55.6%) was found to be the most common psychiatric diagnosis followed by adjustment disorder (25.9) in cancer patient spouses..Other psychiatric disorders are generalised anxiety disorder, dysthymia and panic disorder. Adjustment disorder followed by Major depressive disorder was found to be the most common psychiatric diagnosis in BPAD patients. Both cases and controls also had high levels of psychopathology scores without a psychiatric diagnosis. Quality of life was less in the subjects with a psychiatric diagnosis than the ones without a psychiatric diagnosis. Severity and frequency of psychopathology in case and control group was inversely related to quality of life i.e that severe psychopathology tend to have low quality of life. Psychiatric morbidity was more common in spouses of head and neck cancer patients. Female’s spouses of cancer patients had low social functioning when compared to males. Spouses of cancer patients aged between 31-40 years had lower quality of life when compared to other age groups. Conclusion: The present study also highlights the need for spouses’ psychiatric evaluation after a person is diagnosed with cancer and the need for further research in this field in India as well as other nations.